Definition

• An infectious disease of birds and mammals that is caused by Chlamydia psittaci
• Transmission of infection from birds to humans results in:
  • Febrile illness, characterized by pneumonitis and systemic manifestations or
  • Inapparent infections or mild influenza-like illnesses
• Most avian species can harbor C. psittaci.
  • Although psittacine birds (e.g., parrots, parakeets, budgerigars) are most often infected, human cases have also been traced to many other birds.
• The designation ornithosis is sometimes applied to infections contracted from birds other than parrots or parakeets, but psittacosis is the preferred generic term for all forms of the disease.

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