AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi all,

Is anyone aware of any cases where poultry have had chlamydial infections - specifically the psittacosis strain that mostly affects parrots? It is basically a really bad respiratory disease that can transfer to humans. My husband has just been diagnosed with it (and the rest of us are a bit suspect too), so we are trying to treat anything that may harbour the bug. We have parrots (hand-raised birds) and bantams, and although they don't have any direct contact I was wondering if chooks can become infected with the disease?

We've been told that the most effective treatment for parrots and humans is doxycycline (in water, for the birds) - anyone used that on poultry?

Thanks.
Debbie

Chlamydia psittaci infects wild and domestic birds and poultry. Birds which contract the infection include Parrots, Canaries, Pigeons, Chickens, Ducks, and Turkeys. The time between exposure to Chlamydia psittaci and the onset of illness ranges from three days to several weeks. Sick birds show signs of:
sleepiness,
shivering,
weight loss,
breathing difficulties,
diarrhea.

Birds can appear healthy and do not show any symptoms now, but they can show symptoms later. These infected birds carrying the Chlamydia psittaci bacteria may shed the organism intermittently or sometimes continuously for weeks or months. Stress associated with Nutritional deficiencies, Overcrowding, Breeding, Egg-laying and Prolonged transport may cause birds to shed infectious agents. When shedding occurs, the infected birds excrete the bacteria in the droppings and nasal discharges and can remain infective for several months. Baycox Solution 150(TM) at the rate of 3mls per litre of water, twice a day for 2 days then repeat in 3 weeks. Doxycycline(TM) is a members of the Tetracycline(TM) and is an affective treatment, however in poultry it can take some time for the dug to take affect. Human can become infected with Chlamydia psittaci by breathing in the organism when the urine, respiratory secretion, or dried droppings of infected birds is airborne. Other sources of exposure include mouth-to-beak contact, a bite from an infected bird (parrot), and handling the plumage of infected birds. Person-to-person transmission of the disease is rare.

Hope this helps

Thanks
Peacocks Australia