psittacosis

[sit-uh-koh-sis]

noun

Pathology.

1. a rickettsial disease affecting birds of the parrot family, pigeons, and domestic fowl, caused by the chlamydia Chlamydia psittaci and transmissible to humans.

psittacosis

/ ˌsɪtəˈkəʊsɪs /

noun

1. Also called: parrot fever.  ornithosis. a disease of parrots, caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Chlamydia psittaci, that can be transmitted to man, in whom it produces inflammation of the lungs and pneumonia

Word History and Origins

Origin of psittacosis¹

1895–1900; < Latin psittac ( us ) parrot (< Greek psittakós ) + -osis

Word History and Origins

Origin of psittacosis¹

C19: from New Latin, from Latin psittacus a parrot, from Greek psittakos; see _-osis

Example Sentences

Numerous sensational accounts of human deaths due to psittacosis infections from birds were published in 1929.

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Breathing dust or water droplets containing contaminated bird droppings can lead to several diseases, including a flu-like illness called psittacosis.

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Parrots can carry the causative agent of psittacosis—which causes severe pneumonia in humans.

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They include cat scratch fever from our cats, leptospirosis from our dogs, psittacosis from our chickens and parrots, and brucellosis from our cattle.

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The zoo said the bacteria that led to the closure is called chlamydophila, often called psittacosis.

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