Zoonotic atypical pneumonia due to Chlamydophila psittaci: first reported psittacosis case in Taiwan.
Human psittacosis caused by Chlamydophila psittaci is one of the most common zoonotic atypical pneumonias featuring pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary infections. Most of the cases involve avian contact history especially with psittacine birds. Herein we report a 44-year-old male patient displaying atypical pneumonia symptoms of intermittent fever, dry cough, chest pain, dyspnea, headache, hepatitis, and hyponatremia. He had two sick cockatiels, one of which had died a month previously. A microimmunofluorescence test was performed to check the serum antibody levels against Chlamydophila psittaci. The serum IgM titer showed positive titer of 1:256, 1:256, and 1:128 on Days 11, 23, and 43 after disease onset, respectively. His fever subsided soon and clinical symptoms improved after minocycline was administrated on Day 12. The psittacosis case was confirmed by history of psittacine bird contact, clinical symptoms, treatment response, and positive IgM titer. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a psittacosis case in Taiwan.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan.
Yu-Jen
YJ
Cheng
Kun-Yen
KY
Lin
Chun-Chen
CC
Chen
Yen-Lin
YL
Huang
Chun-Eng
CE
Liu
Shu-Ying
SY
Li
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008911:Minocycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013624:Taiwan; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008911:Minocycline
Chlamydophila psittaci; atypical pneumonia; chlamydia infections; community-acquired pneumonia; microimmunofluorescence test; psittacosis; zoonoses