Parrot fever: Man's Rare Infection Linked to Parrots read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/837-parrot-fever-man-s-rare-infection-linked-to-parrots

According to a new report, a bird enthusiast in England ended up in the hospital with a serious infection that started with one of his pet birds.

The 61-year-old man was hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and felt sick for a week before going to the hospital. In addition to his flu-like symptoms which included fever, discomfort and breathlessness and experienced several episodes of forgetfulness.

The report reveals that, he was an avid bird-keeper and more importantly, two of his pet birds had recently died that the doctors could diagnose him with a rare case of psittacosis, or parrot fever.

This illness is a type of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci, which can be deadly in birds. Despite the fever's name, parrots aren't the only birds that can get the bacterial infection.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) parakeets, macaws, turkeys and ducks can also get parrot fever.

In birds, parrot fever can cause weight loss, difficulty breathing, watery green droppings, pink eyes, discharge from the eyes or nares (the small holes on a bird's beak), or sudden death. But some birds can also be asymptomatic, meaning that they don't get sick.

Humans can catch parrot fever if they breathe in particles of a sick bird's droppings, feather dust or snot that contain the bacteria. In people, the infection can cause flu-like symptoms, a slower-than-normal heartbeat and a rash.

The illness can also cause neurological symptoms, including severe headaches and photophobia or extreme sensitivity to light.

He recovered after giving an antibiotic called doxycycline. However, several weeks later, the man developed knee pain. The doctors noted that this pain occurs in response to parrot fever in about two-thirds of all patients.

Parrot fever in people is rare about 50 cases are confirmed each year in England and Wales. In the United States, there have been fewer than 10 cases each year since 2010.