Wisconsin Division of Public Health Disease Surveillance Manual (EpiNet, February 2005)

I. IDENTIFICATION

A. CLINICAL DESCRIPTION: A respiratory disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci. The illness is characterized by fever, chills, headache, photophobia, cough, and myalgia.

B. REPORTING CRITERIA: Laboratory diagnosis.

C. LABORATORY CRITERIA FOR CONFIRMATION:

• Isolation of C. psittaci from respiratory secretions, OR
• Fourfold or greater change in antibody against C. psittaci by complement-fixation (CF) or microimmunofluorescence (MIF) to a reciprocal titer of ³ 32 between paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum specimens, OR
• Presence of IgM antibody against C. psittaci by microimmunofluorescence (MIF) to a reciprocal titer of ³ 16.

D. WISCONSIN CASE DEFINITION: A clinically compatible illness that is laboratory confirmed.

NOTE: Because of cross-creativity on serologic tests, psittacosis must be distinguished from lymphogranuloma venereum infections using clinical signs.

II. ACTIONS REQUIRED / PREVENTION MEASURES

A. WISCONSIN DISEASE SURVEILLANCE CATEGORY II: Report to the patient's local health officer on an Acute and Communicable Disease Case Report (DPH 4151) or other means within 72 hours of the identification of a case or suspected case.

B. EPIDEMIOLOGY REPORTS REQUESTED:

1. Acute and Communicable Diseases Case Report (DPH 4151).
2. Psittacosis Case Surveillance Report (DPH 9075).

C. PREVENTION MEASURES:

• Educate persons with high risk for exposure (pet owners, zoo personnel, pet shop operators and poultry processors) to signs and symptoms of disease. Care should be used in cleaning bird housing to minimize contamination of surrounding environments.

D. PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS:

• Infected birds should be treated or destroyed.
• Source investigation: The most common source of infection is exposure to infected psittacine (parrot-like) birds, particularly parrots, parakeets, and lovebirds, although pigeons and poultry (particularly turkeys) may serve as reservoirs. Bird cages, roosts and other housing may harbor the organisms in bird droppings.

 III. CONTACTS FOR CONSULTATION

A. BCDP / COMMUNICABLE DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY SECTION: (608) 267-7321.

B. REGIONAL STAFF: See EpiNet Introduction: “REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACTS”.

C. WSLH / VIRUS SEROLOGY: (608) 262-0428.

IV. RELATED REFERENCES

1. “Psittacosis” DPH Disease Fact Sheet Series: View a list of all current Communicable Disease Fact Sheets

2. Heymann DL, ed. PSITTACOCIS. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 18 th ed. Washington , DC : American Public Health Association, 2004:432-434.

3. Pickering LK, ed. Amebiasis. In: Red Book: 2003 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 26 th ed. Elk Grove Village , IL : American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003:192-194.

4. National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. Compendium of Measures To Control Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci) Infection Among Humans (Psittacosis) and Pet Birds, 2004. ( http://www.nasphv.org/83416/84002.html)

V. DISEASE TRENDS

 There were no cases of psittacosis reported in Wisconsin between 1999 through 2003.