Psittacosis

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): psittacosis/ornithosis (Chlamydophila psittaci) 2010 case definition[33]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Psittacosis/ornithosis (Chlamydophila psittaci). 2010 [internet publication]. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/psittacosis

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis:

• Isolation of C psittaci from respiratory specimens (e.g., sputum, pleural fluid, or tissue) or blood, or

• Fourfold or greater increase in immunoglobulin G (IgG) against C psittaci by complement fixation (CF) or microimmunofluorescence (MIF) between paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum specimens obtained at least 2 to 4 weeks apart, or

• Supportive serology (e.g., C psittaci immunoglobulin M [IgM] of ≥32 in at least 1 serum specimen obtained after onset of symptoms), or

• Detection of C psittaci DNA in a respiratory specimen (e.g., sputum, pleural fluid or tissue) via amplification of a specific target by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.

Probable case:

• An illness characterized by fever, chills, headache, cough, and myalgia that has either:

  • Supportive serology (e.g., C psittaci antibody titer [IgM] of ≥32 in at least 1 serum specimen obtained after onset of symptoms), or

  • Detection of C psittaci DNA in a respiratory specimen (e.g., sputum, pleural fluid or tissue) via amplification of a specific target by PCR assay.

Confirmed case:

• An illness characterized by fever, chills, headache, cough, and myalgia, and laboratory confirmed by either:

  • Isolation of C psittaci from respiratory specimens (e.g., sputum, pleural fluid, or tissue) or blood, or

  • Fourfold or greater increase in IgG against C psittaci by CF or MIF between paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum specimens obtained at least 2 to 4 weeks apart.