1/23. Fulminant psittacosis requiring mechanical ventilation and demonstrating serological cross-reactivity between legionella longbeachae and chlamydia psittaci.chlamydia psittaci infection typically causes a mild respiratory illness in humans. Severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation or intensive care therapy is an uncommon development. The aetiological agents causing severe community acquired pneumonia often remain undetermined. Serological tests may aid in diagnosis. We present two cases of fulminant psittacosis, one demonstrating early cross-reactivity with legionella longbeachae.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/23. psittacosis. A flu like syndrome.BACKGROUND: psittacosis is a relatively common cause of community acquired pneumonia in adults in australia. Although the illness is usually mild to moderate in severity, it can, be life threatening. It should be considered as a possible cause of any flu like illness. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic investigation and outpatient management of psittacosis. DISCUSSION: The key to the management of psittacosis is considering the diagnosis. If a history is obtained of contact with birds, a careful search for respiratory symptoms, signs or chest X-ray changes should take place. If the clinical likelihood is high, empirical therapy with doxycycline should be started. Acute and convalescent serology should then be taken to help establish the diagnosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/23. psittacosis in the elderly.Six elderly patients with serological evidence of psittacosis but atypical syndromes are described. These cases illustrate the difficulties in diagnosing this infection in the old. Four patients were febrile and three had lesions visible on X-ray of the chest. Three died, in one acute toxic viral myocarditis seemed the cause. All were treated with tetracycline, which must be given generously. psittacosis infection would probably be more commonly diagnosed in the old if serological examinations were carried out in old people immediately on their administration to hospital because of a severe febrile illness. Serological tests appear clearly to be the most certain means of identifying psittacosis in patients with multiple pathology.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/23. sepsis due to gestational psittacosis: A multidisciplinary approach within a perinatological center--review of reported cases.chlamydia psittaci is associated with significant morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, and its rarity can delay early diagnosis and treatment. A farmer's wife presented at 31 weeks with febrile illness and developed signs of septic shock, indicating immediate delivery. The child developed uneventfully. The mother survived after symptomatic mechanical ventilation, including extracorporeal lung assistance, for 11 days due to multi-organ failure. Only two weeks after admission antibody titres against chlamydia were rising. The placenta demonstrated acute intervillositis and destruction of throphoblastic cells. Retrospectively, the infection was presumed to derive from infected pregnant sheep. pregnant women should be advised to avoid contact with sheep and their gestational products. Proper history, early recognition and appropriate management is mandatory for survival of both mother and child.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/23. Ovine psittacosis and sarcoidosis in a pregnant woman.A woman in the first trimester of pregnancy presented with pneumonia and hilar lymphadenopathy after exposure to lambing ewes. She subsequently aborted. infection with chlamydia psittaci of ovine origin was confirmed. pregnant women are susceptible to this infection, which may cause life threatening disease. The patient also had features of sarcoidosis, and the two conditions ran a similar time course. There is a possibility that ovine psittacosis caused an illness indistinguishable from sarcoidosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/23. sheep-acquired severe chlamydia psittaci infection in pregnancy.There have been five confirmed cases of severe chlamydia psittaci infection during pregnancy, three having been treated in Edinburgh, scotland. The most recent case is presented and previous experience is reviewed. The illness usually causes thrombocytopenia with disseminated intravascular coagulation, renal failure and hepatic dysfunction during the late second and early third trimester. The outcome for the fetus is usually fatal and the infection only resolves after delivery or abortion. The main hope is for education to prevent infection occurring in susceptible populations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/23. As sick as a pigeon--psittacosis myelitis.An association between acute transverse myelitis and psittacosis in a teenage boy is described. Closer collaboration between doctors and vets might have made the diagnosis sooner. A full paediatric history should include details of contact with pets and other animals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 226.56865867649keywords = sick (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/23. psittacosis in the RSA.patients usually provisionally diagnosed as having typhoid fever or pneumonia are regularly admitted to the Rietfontein Fever Hospital suffering from psittacosis. The main symptoms are intense headache, chills and fever and an irritating non-productive cough. Later most patients develop signs of pneumonitis most clearly seen on radiographic examination. An important clue to the diagnosis is a history of contact with birds, most often budgerigars and more recently cockatiels. The diagnosis may be confirmed by the isolation of chlamydia psittaci, the causative organism, but more usually reliance is placed on the results of serological tests revealing the development of chlamydial antibodies. None of the patients in this series developed serious complications, but if not treated psittacosis sufferers may develop severe pneumonitis, hepatitis and gastro-enteritis; the mortality rate is up to 20%. A rare but fatal complication is chlamydial endocarditis, presenting with the signs and symptoms of subacute bacterial endocarditis, but giving repeated negative blood cultures. The illness responds specifically to treatment with tetracycline antibiotics within 48 hours. Chlamydial infections are widespread among avian species. In the RSA most cases of psittacosis have resulted from contact with budgerigars and cockatiels, but outbreaks have been associated with imported batches of birds including South American parrots and Australian finches, emphasizing the need for vigilance at seaports.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/23. Reactive arthritis and psittacosis.A 54-year old man had severe inflammatory polyarthritis 10 days after the onset of an acute febrile illness that was serologically documented to be psittacosis. The pattern and chronicity of the articular symptoms, the response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and the presence of HLA-B7-CREG strongly suggest that this was a reactive arthritis. The association of psittacosis and reactive arthritis has previously been reported in the British literature, but this may be the first reported North American case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/23. Abortion due to infection with chlamydia psittaci in a sheep farmer's wife.A farmer's wife who had helped with lambing aborted spontaneously in March after a short febrile illness in the 28th week of her pregnancy. She developed disseminated intravascular coagulation post partum with acute renal failure and pulmonary oedema. Recovery was complete after two weeks of hospital care. A strain of chlamydia psittaci, probably of ovine origin, was isolated from the placenta and fetus. The patient's serum showed rising titres of antibody against chlamydia group antigen; the placental and fetal isolates; and a known ovine abortion, but not a known avian, strain of C psittaci. IgG against both ovine abortion and enteric strains of C psittaci was detected, but IgM against only an abortion strain was detected. Histological examination showed pronounced intervillus placentitis with chlamydial inclusions in the trophoblast but no evidence of fetal infection or amnionitis. Laboratory evidence of chlamydial infection was found in an aborting ewe on the farm in January and in remaining sheep and lambs in July. Doctors should recognise the possible risk to pregnant women in rural areas where chlamydial infections in farm animals are widespread.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = illness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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