Causes: Obligate intracellular bacterium- Chlamydia psittcai. Spread by faeces and airborne route.

Effects: Has public health significance and is a reportable disease. Signs in poultry include fever and sleepiness, depending on the strain. Toxigenic strains cause high morbidity and mortality, whereas the non-toxigenic strain produces a mild respiratory or gastrointestinal disease. There may also be a drop in egg production and green droppings.

It causes fever in man and Pscittacine birds.

The causative agent, Chlamydia psittaci, is an obligate intracellular bacterium. The organism has a complex development cycle, which result in a change from the elementary body to the Reticulate body in the host.

It is spread by faeces and airborne. Processing plant exposure may occur for humans.

Primarily turkeys on range and aviary birds are affected.

It has public health (can cause disease in humans) importance and is a notifiable disease. It can produce high fever, flu-like illness and mortality in humans; causes abortion in cattle. Cats and pigeons spread organisms. Veterinarians, pet bird owners and processing plant employees are a high-risk population.

Signs include fever and sleepiness depending on the strain. Toxigenic strain causes high morbidity and mortality, whereas the non-toxic produces a mild respiratory or gastrointestinal disease.

There may be a drop in egg production and green droppings.

There can be a fibrinous pericarditis, air sacculitis and hepatitis. Large congested spleen, pneumonia, congested kidneys, liver, swollen necrotic vent and brain haemorrhage (parrots) can be seen.

Eliminate CRD due to mycoplasma, ND or infectious bronchitis (IB) and E. coli. Laboratory isolation of organism in chicken embryos or mice. Serology (complement fixation) test, or latex agglutination test can be done. Recovered birds shed organism up to 42 days.

Giemsa stain from tissue impression smears reveal red EB’s or bluish-green RBs. Antigen capture ELISA will stain Chlamydia smear from swabs or vent or cleft (Abbot or Kodak, Labs.).

It simulates CRD, colibaccillosis, influenza and cholera.

Fibrinous pericarditis, air sacculitis and congested spleen in turkeys is diagnostic.

Destroy dead birds, prevent wild and free-flying bird exposure and quarantine infected flocks.

CTC 400 g/ton (3 weeks) and Doxycyline* are effective drugs.

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