psittacosis

American  

[sit-uh-koh-sis] / ˌsɪt əˈkoʊ sɪs /

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.

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psittacosis British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of psittacosis

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

Example Sentences

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

From BBC

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

From BBC

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

From Scientific American

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

From Literature

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

From Washington Times