Not long ago
A mother and daughter in Dalian, Liaoning Province
Symptoms of high fever and pneumonia appeared one after another
The mother also suffered from respiratory failure
Admitted to the ICU ward for rescue
However, the cause of the disease has not been determined
……
Recently, the Dalian Public Health Clinical Center admitted a patient with hepatitis C cirrhosis and liver cancer. During hospitalization, the patient had a high fever for five consecutive days, with a maximum body temperature of 40°C, the cause was unknown, and the anti-infection treatment effect was not good, and he was later transferred to the ICU ward due to dyspnea. The tests for new coronavirus and influenza A and B virus infection were all negative. Chest CT scan showed extensive inflammation of both lungs with pleural effusion.
Both mother and daughter suffer from pneumonia
It has something to do with the parrot at home
When the doctor and the family asked for further medical history, they learned that the patient's daughter had been treated for "pneumonia" in another hospital 10 days earlier. The two developed lung infections one after another, which alerted the doctor and communicated with the patient's daughter in detail by phone to conduct an epidemiological investigation.
It turned out that the patient's home had a pair of parrots, and one of them died suddenly not long ago, and the family only hastily disposed of the corpse without thorough disinfection.
Is it possible for a patient to be infected with the clinically rare form of "psittacosis"? After a series of tests, two days later, the patient's test results confirmed that he was infected with Chlamydia psittaci.
What is "psittacosis"?
"Psittacosis" is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci. Chlamydia psittaci is not only found on parrots, but also on more than 190 species of birds and poultry such as pigeons, chickens, ducks, and wild animals.
Originally, this disease was more common among parrot lovers, so it was called "psittacosis".
Pneumonia is the main manifestation
Easy to misdiagnose! Severe can be life-threatening
The incubation period of psittacosis is usually about 5-21 days, with a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 45 days, and its epidemic is not significantly seasonal.
Common symptoms: sudden high fever of 39-40 °C, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough, sputum production, general fatigue, etc., and the incidence of pneumonia is as high as 85-90%. In some cases, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur.
In severe cases, symptoms such as cyanosis, irritability, and coma may also occur. A small number of cases may develop complications such as thrombophlebitis, myocarditis, and endocarditis during the recovery period.
Severe "psittacosis" pneumonia is very easy to misdiagnose, resulting in a high mortality rate. Therefore, if the patient has contact with live poultry or raising birds, it is important to inform the doctor in time.
In 2021, one death from psittacosis was reported in Lishui, Zhejiang
Breathe and you can "hit"
Human infection with psittacosis is mainly through the respiratory route.
- Respiratory tract infection
It usually occurs when cleaning poultry houses, cleaning droppings in bird cages or pigeon lofts, inhaling air polluted by birds and poultry; and when poultry are slaughtered and birds are plucked.
Source: Shenzhen Health Commission
Even if there is no active direct contact, there are many birds and birds living or working in the environment, and inhaling the dry feces, feathers or aerosols of respiratory secretions of sick birds may be "hit"!
Someone buys live poultry and gets tricked
In 2021, Mr. Ren and Ms. Feng from Zhongshan, Guangdong Province were admitted to the hospital due to high fever, and both of them were diagnosed with "psittacosis", and Ms. Feng was directly sent to the ICU!
Before the onset of the disease, they all had the same characteristics -
Ms. Fung had bought live poultry at the market, and Mr. Ren's workplace was next to a bird market.
Patient Mr. Ren. Source: Shenzhen Health Commission
- Infection through injury to the skin and mucous membranes
It usually occurs when poultry are slaughtered and cleaned, or when they are pecked or scratched by sick birds (poultry) or infected birds (poultry).
"Psittacosis" is not common to spread from person to person. In some patients with severe disease, in the 48 hours before death, the chlamydia coughs more severely, and chlamydia is excreted with the cough to form aerosols, which can cause infection of surrounding people.
How to prevent "psittacosis"?
1. Bird lovers, please try to buy pet birds with health certificates, and new birds should be quarantined for 2 weeks.
2. Disinfect and clean the bird cage frequently. Moisten the cage before cleaning to prevent diseased microorganisms or particles from drifting into the air. Wear a mask and gloves during the cleaning process, and wash your hands promptly after cleaning.
3. Don't tease the bird for too long. The bird cage should be hung outdoors for ventilation, and the birds should not be teased for more than half an hour at a time.
4. Try to avoid contact between domestic birds and wild birds. If birds and birds get sick, they should be isolated from people in time to avoid infection.
5. If you are scratched, you need to disinfect and clean the wound in time, and seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have a fever.
6. Keep your distance when buying live poultry and cook it thoroughly when eating.
National Emergency Radio Reminder
Cute pet birds
There may also be "harm"
Bird lovers should not take this lightly
If you feel unwell, seek medical attention immediately
and inform the relevant contact history in a timely manner
Source丨Xiaoxiang Morning News, Shenzhen Health Commission, Guangdong Health Commission, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Chengdu Disease Control
Editor丨Qian Jiayue