The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday New Psittacosis Epidemic in Europe Five people have died, four in Denmark and one in the Netherlands. This is a respiratory infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci), a bacterium that commonly infects birds.
According to the World Health Organization, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands reported in February 2024, through the EU Early Warning and Response System (EWS), an increase in observed cases of psittacosis in 2023 and early 2024, particularly From November to December 2023. five people died, Exposure to wild or domestic birds has been reported in most cases.
Psittacosis is a respiratory infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci), a bacterium that commonly infects birds.Human infections mainly occur in through contact with secretions of infected birds The World Health Organization explains that they are primarily associated with workers, “pet birds, poultry workers, veterinarians, pet bird owners and gardeners in areas where Psittacosis psittaci is endemic among local birds.”
Affected countries have conducted epidemiological investigations to identify possible exposures and clusters of cases, including Wild bird sample analysis Avian influenza testing was conducted to verify the prevalence of P. psittaci in wild birds.
The World Health Organization will therefore continue to study the situation and assess the risks posed by this situation based on available information new shoot is “low”.
Epidemics by country
Denmark From late 2023 to mid-January 2024, psittacosis cases increased significantly. As of February 27, 2024, 23 people have tested positive for P. psittaci using RT-PCR. Most cases occur in the northern regions of Denmark, the Zeeland region and the Capital Region. Seventeen cases (74%) were hospitalized, 15 developed pneumonia and 4 died.
inside Netherlands Confirmed cases of Psittacosis have increased since the end of December 2023, and as of February 29, 2024, 21 people have reported positive for Psittacosis, which is double the number of cases for the same period in previous years.
Recent cases are spread across the country but have not yet been identified common sources of infection. The average age of the cases was 67 years old, and 16 (76%) were male. All of the recent cases have resulted in hospitalization, and one patient has died.
In 2024, there are reports that Austria As of March 4 this year, there have been four cases of psittacosis: none of the patients reported in 2023 or 2024 reported traveling abroad, and wild birds are not considered a source of infection.
Apart from, Germany The number of people testing positive for Chlamydia psittaci increased in December 2023, with five confirmed cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in 2023 to 14, the report said. In 2024, as of February 20, they reported five more confirmed cases of psittacosis.
Finally, in 2024, Sweden There were 10 reported cases in January and 3 cases in February, which were lower than the average number of reported cases in the same period in the previous five years.