Answers
What is a common bacterial disease in birds that is highly contagious and zoonotic? -
ANSWERSChlamydophila psittaci
How is C. psittaci spread and how many serovars are there - ANSWERS-feces,
respiratory discharges
-ingestion or inhalation most common route of infection. eggs and feather dust reported
-8 serovars, all pathogenic and zoonotic
How long can C. psittaci remain infectious? - ANSWERSweeks to months
Are there latent carriers for C. psittaci? - ANSWERSLatent carriers are common and are
difficult to identify.
a. Bacteria may be shed under stressful conditions (shipments, concurrent
disease, inadequate housing, etc).
Incubation period of C. psittaci? - ANSWERS5-14 days in animals and man
Why is treatment and diagnosis of C. psittaci difficult? - ANSWERSobligate intracellular
organism
Clinical signs in birds w/ C. psittaci? - ANSWERSa. Nasal/ocular discharge
b. Infraorbital swelling
c. Respiratory difficulty
d. Diarrhea
Clinical signs of C. psittaci in humans? - ANSWERSInhalation is primary route of
infection.
b.
Symptoms range from unapparent illness to severe pneumonia.
c.
Veterinarians, companion bird owners, poultry farmers, zoo workers and pet shop
employees are at increased risk of the infection. Likely an under-diagnosed disease in
man
Common bloodwork abnormalities w/ C. psittaci? - ANSWERSelevated white blood cell
count; elevated AST, ALT, and
LDH (indicative of hepatopathy).