Evidence-based control of human Chlamydophila psittaci infection

Avian influenza has enhanced interest in bird zoonosis and zoonotic disease
control programmes. A
well-known zoonosis is psittacosis which is an infection with Chlamydophila
psittaci that can lead to
pneumonia in humans. So far, medical microbiology assays that have been used to
diagnose patients
with psittacosis have been poorly validated. The predictive value of a positive
test is estimated to be
20%.

The aim of our study is to validate serology as well a PCR assay using culture
as the gold
standard.

Patient materials will be tested in three
specialised public health laboratories. A case-control study using a detailed
questionnaire aimed at
quantification of bird contact will be performed by municipal health services
in the provinces of
Noord-Holland and Flevoland in order to identify risk factor for infection. As
is routinely the case in The
Netherlands, based on information from the municipal health services, the Food
and Consumer Product
Safety Authority will sample birds that are suspected sources of infection with
C. psittaci and send
specimen to the CDIC-Lelystad laboratory. CIDC will perform PCR on bird
specimens, results of which
guide preventive measures.

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