Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors for physical disability at the moment of leprosy diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive and exploratory investigation of 19,283 patients with leprosy, registered in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 2000 and 2005. Results: The risk of Grade 2 disability was 16.5-fold higher in patients with lepromatous leprosy, and 12.8-fold higher in patients presenting the borderline form, compared to patients presenting indeterminate leprosy. The occurrence of more than one thickened nerve increased the odds of a patient developing Grade 2 disability, 8.4-fold. Age <15 years, multibacillary leprosy and no formal education presented 7.0, 5.7 and 5.6 odds of developing physical disability, respectively. Conclusions: These factors should be considered as strong prognostic indicators in the development of physical disability at diagnosis.

A psitacose, também conhecida como ornitose, é causada pela Chlamydia psittaci; caracteriza-se por doença de início insidioso, sintomas brandos e inespecíficos, lembrando infecção de vias aéreas superiores. Acomete principalmente o pulmão, sendo raramente doença sistêmica e fatal. Descreve-se um caso raro de pneumonia por Chlamydia psittaci que evoluiu para insuficiência respiratória aguda, necessitando de ventilação mecânica. Destaca-se a importância em considerar o diagnóstico, especialmente em casos de pneumonia comunitária que evolui de modo insatisfatório, que não responde à terapia antimicrobiana e cuja epidemiologia é positiva para exposição às aves. O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental devido à excelente resposta terapêutica. O diagnóstico tardio pode levar a curso grave e fatal da doença. (J Pneumol 2001;27(4):219-222) Severe pneumonia due to Chlamydia psittaci Psittacosis, also known as ornithosis, is a disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci. The most common clinical presentation is insidious onset, mild symptoms resembling a nonspecific viral illness and preference for the lungs. It is rarely a systemic and fatal disease. It is described a rare case of pneumonia due to Chlamydia psittaci that progressively developed into respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation. It is very important to consider psittacosis in cases of