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J Med Microbiol 55 (2006), 1571-1575; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46692-0
© 2006 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

An outbreak of psittacosis due to Chlamydophila psittaci genotype A in a veterinary teaching hospital

Edou R. Heddema1,{dagger}, Erik J. van Hannen2, Birgitta Duim1, Bartelt M. de Jongh2, Jan A. Kaan3, Rob van Kessel4, Johannes T. Lumeij5, Caroline E. Visser1 and Christina M. J. E. Vandenbroucke-Grauls1,6

1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Diakonessen Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

4 Department of Infectious Diseases and Hygiene, Municipal Health Service, Utrecht, The Netherlands

5 Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

6 Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Correspondence
Edou R. Heddema
e.r.heddema{at}amc.uva.nl

Received 20 April 2006
Accepted 25 July 2006

An outbreak of psittacosis in a veterinary teaching hospital was recognized in December 2004. Outbreak management was instituted to evaluate the extent of the outbreak and to determine the avian source. Real-time PCR, serologic testing and sequencing of the ompA gene of Chlamydophila psittaci were performed. Sputum samples from patients, throat-swab samples from exposed students and staff, and faecal specimens from parrots and pigeons were tested. In this outbreak, 34 % (10/29) of the tested individuals were infected. The clinical features of the infection ranged from none to sepsis with multi-organ failure requiring intensive-care-unit admission. C. psittaci genotype A was identified as the outbreak strain. Parrots, recently exposed to a group of cockatiels coming from outside the teaching facility, which were used in a practical class, appeared to be the source of the outbreak. One of the tested pigeons harboured an unrelated C. psittaci genotype B strain. The microbiological diagnosis by real-time PCR on clinical specimens allowed for rapid outbreak management; subsequent genotyping of the isolates identified the avian source. Recommendations are made to reduce the incidence and extent of future outbreaks.

Abbreviations: CFT, complement fixation test; IC, internal control; MIF, microimmunofluorescence; rELISA, recombinant ELISA.

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the sequences of the ompA gene of the C. psittaci OSV outbreak strain and the unrelated C. psittaci CLV pigeon isolate are DQ230095 and DQ230096, respectively.

{dagger}Present address: VU University Medical Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.




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Chlamydophila psittaci genotype E/B transmission from African grey parrots to humans
J. Med. Microbiol., August 1, 2007; 56(8): 1097 - 1100.
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