The National University of Costa Rica (UNA) warned about a bacteria transmitted by some birds to people, which causes a disease called avian chlamytosis (CA).
According to the experts, they suspect a new case of chlamydiosis in a Costa Rican woman who worked in a pet store, where a cockatoo died suddenly.
Gaby Dolz, coordinator of the Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Population Medicine of the UNA, indicated that in Costa Rica the first case was reported in 2014, when two cockatoos were infected.
These birds, when living with people, transmit the disease when someone kisses them or inhales the animal’s feces when cleaning the cage,”
said Dolz.
The dangerous bacterial disease manifests itself in a person with pneumonia or severe endocarditis, which is often confused with dengue or colds.
According to Dolt,
one of the weaknesses of the national health system is that most specialists are unaware of the presence of bacteria in birds in our country and do not have a laboratory diagnosis for this agent, so they could be treating this disease as if it was dengue or a cold, without detecting the bacteria in the exams to start antibiotic treatment.”
Cockatoos, parrots and even pigeons can transmit this disease.
The expert of the Veterinary School of the UNA recommended that when buying birds people must make sure they are certified as free of “Chlamydia psittaci”.