The World Health Organization reported on Tuesday that a lethal outbreak of psittacosis, a bacterial infection often known as parrot fever, has afflicted people in numerous European countries.
The outbreak began in 2023 and has persisted through the beginning of this year. Five deaths have been reported.
Parrot fever is caused by bacteria from the Chlamydia family, which can be found in a range of wild and domesticated birds and animals. Infected birds do not usually appear sick, but they expel the bacteria when they breathe or poop.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans most usually contract parrot fever by inhaling dust from an infected bird’s secretions. People can also become ill if a bird bites them or makes beak-to-mouth contact. The disease does not spread through eating affected animals.
Human-to-human transmission is feasible, although extremely infrequent, according to studies. According to WHO, the majority of recent cases involved people being exposed to infected domestic or wild birds.
Most individuals who contract parrot fever experience a mild sickness that develops five to 14 days after being exposed to a sick bird and can include a headache, muscle soreness, a dry cough, fever, and chills. Antibiotics can treat the infection, and it is rarely lethal to humans.
Austria, which generally sees two occurrences of this disease every year, has recorded 14 confirmed cases in 2023 and four more this year up of March 4. The incidents are unrelated, and none of the victims reported traveling abroad or coming into contact with wild birds.
Each year, Denmark sees 15 to 30 human cases, the majority of which are caused by exposure to pet birds or hobby birds such as racing pigeons.
As of February 27, there have been 23 documented cases of the outbreak, but public health officials believe the number is significantly higher, according to WHO.
Of the 17 Danish cases, 15 were hospitalized with pneumonia, and four died.
At least one person in Denmark contracted parrot fever from a pet bird. Of the 15 cases with relevant exposure information, 12 reported having interaction with wild birds, predominantly through bird feeders. In three cases, the patients had no prior interaction with birds of any type.
Germany reported 14 confirmed cases of parrot fever in 2023. There have been additional five this year. Almost all of the victims had pneumonia, and 16 were hospitalized.
Of the 19 instances in Germany, five included sick pet birds or chicks.
Since 2017, Sweden has seen a rise in the number of parrot fever cases.
It reported an exceptionally large number of cases in late November and early December, with 26. There have been 13 cases this year, which is lower than the previous five years.
The Netherlands has also experienced a surge in cases, with 21 reported from late December to February 29, which is twice as many as in previous years, according to WHO. Typically, that country has roughly nine cases per year.
Everyone in the most recent Dutch cases has been hospitalized, and one person has died. Eight reported no contact with birds, seven with domestic bird droppings, and six with wild bird droppings.
WHO said it will continue to monitor the outbreak alongside the affected nations.
The group encourages doctors to be on the alert for the virus and advises pet bird owners and others who come into contact with birds to practice good hand hygiene.
According to the World Health Organization, pet bird owners should maintain their cages clean and minimize overcrowding.
Source- Psittacosis outbreak in Europe has led to deaths of five people