How to Prevent Psittacosis

Psittacosis, an infection caused by the Chlamydia psittaci bacterium, is carried by birds, especially parrots, but some strains can be hosted by mammals. Psittacosis is usually transmitted to humans by inhaling contaminated respiratory secretions or dried feces. Human-to-human transmission is possible but unlikely and it is contracted primarily by people who handle birds. The following steps will show how to prevent a case of psittacosis.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Clean the cages of pet birds often so that their feces do not accumulate, dry up and become airborne.

2. Avoid handling new or sick birds. Birds can remain infected for life even after treatment and continue to shed bacteria when stressed.

3. Purchase birds in the United States from a reliable source that follows federal recommendations for psittacosis control. Keep imported birds of the parrot in a bird quarantine station before selling them.

4. Feed quarantined birds with food containing tetracycline. This will reduce the risk of infection but the quarantine period of 45 days is generally too short to completely treat the birds. Federal health authorities recommend that breeders and importers provide the tetracycline feed to all birds for 45 continuous days to prevent the spread of psittacosis.

5. Report cases of this infection to health authorities as required by most states. Prompt diagnosis and reporting may make identification of the source of infection easier and help control the spread of this disease. This is can be challenging, however, as infected birds rarely have symptoms.

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Resources

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