[Psittacosis outbreak at an avian exhibition]

Psittacosis outbreak due to Chlamydophila psittaci occurred among staff members at an avian exhibition of nearly 1,000 birds in Kobe, Japan, in December 2005. Staff members not trained about zoonosis or psittacosis used little protective attire such as masks and gloves when caring for their discharges. Two of 67 staff members contracted psittacosis pneumonia. Additional two suffered from pneumonia and 19 reported symptoms such as fever and cough, although none were diagnosed with psittacosis. The roughly 970 birds were kept without quarantine and identified by leg bands. Doxycycline administrated in drinking water and food failed to eradicate chlamydia, so all birds were captured, identified by leg band, and tested for chlamydia by PCR. Six were found to carry large amounts of chlamydia. Major outer membrane protein (MOMP) DNA sequence of chlamydia in a patient's bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was identical to that derived from a channel-billed toucan kept in a closed aviary, and staff members may have been infected by inhaling excrement while working in the aviary. The MOMP DNA sequence was useful in comparing strains. We review the difficulty of diagnosing psittacosis and the knowledge and infection control measures required against it.