FIVE people have died following an outbreak of deadly parrot fever across Europe, with five countries reporting “an unusual and unexpected increase” in cases.
Parrot fever – also known as psittacosis – is a flu-like illness caused by contact with infected birds that can leave people suffering with severe pneumonia or brain and heart inflammation.
Five countries in Europe have reported unusually high numbers of parrot fever cases in recent months
Five European countries have seen a sudden increase in parrot fever infections in recent months, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned in a recent alert, though infections have been ticking up steadily over the past few years.
“In February 2024, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands reported through the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) of the European Union, an increase in psittacosis cases observed in 2023 and at the beginning of 2024, particularly marked since November-December 2023,” the global health watchdog wrote.
“Five deaths were also reported.”
WHO said most people infected with psittacosis had been exposed to wild or domestic birds.
Symptoms of parrot fever tend to be mild and can resemble the flu, with sufferers experiencing fever and chills, headache, muscle aches and dry cough.
But left untreated, the illness can progress to severe pneumonia, inflammation of the heart called endocarditis, hepatitis and even brain swelling, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Prompt antibiotic treatment is needed to avoid complications from psittacosis, WHO noted.
The health watchdog said it was continuing to monitor rising cases in Europe, though it deemed “the risk posed by this event as low”.
Which countries are affected?
Of the five European countries seeing a significant increase in parrot fever infections, two reported higher numbers than others.
According to WHO, Denmark reported a “marked increase” in psittacosis cases from late last year to mid January.
As of February 27, 23 people tested positive for the bacteria causing the infection, called Chlamydophila psittaci or C. psittaci.
Seventeen of them were hospitalised – 15 of whom developed pneumonia – and four people passed away.
“The National Health Institute of Denmark, Statens Serum Institute, suspects that infections are primarily associated with wild birds through the inhalation of airborne particles from the dried droppings of infected birds,” WHO wrote.
One patient also became ill after contact with a domestic bird that also tested positive for C. psittaci bacteria.
Denmark typically sees between 15 and 30 cases of parrot fever each year, so this represents a steep increase.
The Netherlands closely followed Denmark in recording 21 psittacosis infections as of February 29 this year, “twice as many cases as the same period in previous years”, according to WHO.
All recent cases were hospitalised and one person infected with parrot fever died.
Another other country experiencing “an unusually high number” of psittacosis cases is Sweden, which reported 13 cases throughout January and February this year.
Infections were particularly high in late 2023, with seven cases flagged in November and 19 in December.
“This represents a doubling of the number of cases compared to respective months in the previous five years,” WHO shared.
In Austria, four people have come down with psittacosis as of March 4 – this followed 14 confirmed cases in the whole of 2023.
Finally, Germany reported five parrot fever infections as of February 20, following a total of 14 cases reported last year.
Can parrot fever spread between humans?
The respiratory infection is caused by a bacteria that often infects birds called Chlamydophila psittaci or C. psittaci.
“Human infections occur mainly through contact with secretions from infected birds and are mostly associated with those who work with pet birds, poultry workers, veterinarians, pet bird owners, and gardeners in areas where C. psittaci is widespread in the native bird population,” WHO noted.
Though the bacteria has been spotted in dogs and cats, birds – especially pet psittacine birds, finches, canaries, and pigeons – are most frequently the cause of human psittacosis infections.
“While birds that carry this disease could be crossing international borders, there is currently no indication of this disease being spread by humans nationally or internationally,” the health watchdog added.
As people don’t tend to spread the bacteria that causes psittacosis to other people, there is only “a low likelihood of further human-to-human transmission of the disease”, according to WHO.
It said parrot fever is treatable with antibiotics if correctly diagnosed.
What are the symptoms of psittacosis?
PSITTACOSIS is a respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Chlamydophila psittaci found in birds.
Most people begin developing signs and symptoms within five to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria, according to the Wold Health Organisation.
Prompt antibiotic treatment is effective and can help avoiding complications such as pneumonia.
With appropriate antibiotic treatment, psittacosis rarely results in death, with less than one in 100 cases being fatal.
Symptoms of parrot fever include:
Fever and chills
Headache
Muscle aches
Dry cough
Though most people treated for parrot fever make a full recovery, some have serious complications and need hospital care.
These include:
Pneumonia (lung infection)
Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves)
Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
Inflammation of the nerves or the brain, leading to neurologic problems
Symptoms of psittacosis are similar to many other respiratory illnesses and tests to detect the bacteria directly may not be readily available.
For these reasons, doctors may not suspect it, making psittacosis difficult to diagnose.
You should tell your GP if you get sick after buying or handling a pet bird or poultry.