This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Epidemiology and transmission

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Chlamydia psittaci may be acquired from most birds but psittacines - parrots, parakeets, and budgerigars - are the most frequent source of infection.

The bacterium is present in the nasal secretions, excreta, tissues and feathers of infected birds. Transmission most commonly occurs through the respiratory tract when in an environment previously occupied by an infected bird.

There is no evidence of transmission from eating poultry products.

Person-to-person spread is possible and there is a risk to laboratory workers handling specimens from patients.

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page