Psittacosis

Abstract

among domestic fowl have increased the incidence of psittacosis tremendously. Since Ritter first described the disease under the name of pneumotyphus, psittacosis has been reported as endemic or epidemic in many parts of the world. Any attempt to determine the true incidence of the disease is futile. It is certain that psittacosis occurs much more frequently than is generally realized. That it is overlooked because of the unawareness of the medical profession of its existence is most likely.Psittacosis is an acute infectious disease caused by a number of closely related viruses. In addition to the strains of psittacine origin, there are various other strains which naturally infect other species of birds. These latter infections are referred to as ornithosis. The disease is transmitted to man primarily from infected birds. The illness is characterized by a febrile course with pneumonic changes of a diffuse interstitial nature. Since the advent of antibiotic therapy the case fatality rate of the disease has decreased from 50% to approximately 2%.The following seven cases * encountered in the past three years form the basis for this report and for a discussion of the psittacosis problem. REPORT OF CASESCase 1.-M. T., a 54-year-old woman, was hospitalized on Oct. 23 because of a febrile illness with cough and generalized aching of two days' duration. Examination of the chest revealed scattered moist rales with harsh breath sounds in the right pulmonary base and the left midlung field. The temperature was 102 F.; the pulse rate was 116 per minute, and the respiratory rate was 26 per minute. The blood pressure was 164/102. Fever (temperature to 102 F.) was present for one week, despite the daily administration of 300,000 units of penicillin procaine intra¬ muscularly. There was gradual clearing of the rales in both lung fields, and the cough and arthralgia disappeared. The patient was discharged from the hospital on Nov. 2. Cleo Roberts, B.S., gave technical assistance.