Psittacosis

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Lungs

Respiratory system

Ornithosis; Chlamydia psittaci

The infection is treated with antibiotics. Doxycycline is the first line treatment. Other antibiotics that may be prescribed include:

• Azithromycin
• Erythromycin
• Moxiflacin
• Rifampin
• Tetracycline

Note: Tetracycline and doxycycline by mouth is usually not prescribed for children until after all their permanent teeth have started to grow in or to pregnant women. The medicine can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming.

Full recovery is expected.

• Brain involvement
• Decreased lung function as a result of the pneumonia
• Heart valve infection
• Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)

Antibiotics are needed to treat this infection. If you develop symptoms of psittacosis, call your health care provider.

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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