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Step 1
Check for occupational or recreational hazards. Psittacosis is rare and almost entirely limited to bird owners and people who work with live or dead birds. Infected birds rarely show symptoms.
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Step 2
Realize that the initial onset of psittacosis is abrupt and the symptoms can include chills, fever, headaches, rashes and severe pneumonia. These symptoms appear about 10 days after exposure.
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Step 3
Expect the symptoms of psittacosis to progress to a dry cough that may be accompanied by breathing difficulty and tightness in the chest.
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Step 4
Detect antibodies for Chlamydia psittaci in a blood sample. Take the sample before beginning treatment with antibiotics if possible. Otherwise, multiple tests may be needed since antibiotics may prevent an antibody response. If multiple tests are required, they should be done by the same laboratory. This is still not definitive, however, as these antibodies also may be produced in response to other species of Chlamydia.
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Step 5
Perform microimmunofluorescence assays that distinguish Chlamydia psittaci from other species of Chlamydia to confirm the diagnosis if needed. This is normally done only to track the epidemiology of the infection.
