Psittacosis

Abstract

Chlamydophila psittaci (Bacteria kingdom, Chlamydiae phylum, Chlamydiae class, Chlamydiales order, Chlamydiaceae family) is part of the genus Chlamydophila, where Cp. abortus, Cp. caviae, Cp. felis, Cp. pecorum and Cp. pneumoniae are the other five species of bacteria [1]. Avian chlamydiosis induced by this Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacteria [2] is traditionally known as ornithosis or psittacosis [3-5]. It is an infectious disease capable of infecting domestic and wild birds [6,7], being the Psittacidae family where most occurrences are reported [8]. Chlamydophila psittaci infects primarily birds [9], but mammals, including humans, are also susceptible of infection [10-11]. In fact, zoonotic status of this organism is largely described and emphasizes the scientific reports worldwide [12-15]. Chlamydophila psittaci can be found in bird feathers, excrements and blood, whether or not these animals are showing clinical signs of disease [16,17]. Psittacosis can be transmitted by vertical and horizontal via [2]. The agent is excreted on faeces and ingested from the food or inhaled via aerosols [13]. At the lungs of newly infected animals, the organism gets an infecting status becoming capable to replicate and causing clinical signs of disease [18,19]. There are three morphologically distinct forms of Chlamydophila: • The elementary body, which is small, spherical, of about 0.2-0.3 mm in diameter; • The reticular body, wider, of about 0.5-2.0 mm, which is able to replicate by binary division; • And the intermediate body, with 0.3-2.0 mm in diameter, seen in infected host cells [18,20].