Chlamydophila psittaci


Chla·myd·o·phil·a psit·ta·ci

(klă-midō-filă si-tasī) Organisms that resemble C. trachomatis but do not produce glycogen. Various strains of this species cause psittacosis in humans and ornithosis in birds. Also called Chlamydia psittaci (q.v.).

Chlamydophila psittaci

A species of Chlamydophila common in birds and animals. Pet owners, pet shop employees, poultry workers, and workers in meat-processing plants are frequently exposed to C. psittaci.

Symptoms

After an incubation period of 5 to 15 days, nonspecific symptoms (e.g., malaise, headache, fever) develop; progression to pneumonia is serious and may be fatal. Alternatively, the disease may resemble infectious mononucleosis with fever, pharyngitis, hepatosplenomegaly, and adenopathy. Severity may vary from inapparent to mild to fatal systemic disease.

Prognosis

The fatality rate is approx. 20% in untreated patients.

Treatment

Treatment consists of tetracycline or doxycycline for 10 to 21 days.

See also: Chlamydophila