The Mysterious—and Deadly—Parrot Fever Has Invaded 5 Countries and Counting
An outbreak of the respiratory infection—known as psittacosis, or parrot fever—has struck five European countries and taken five lives since late 2023.
The disease is caused by the bacteria Chlamydophila psittaci, which is found in 450 avian species and a large swath of mammals.
Human infection typically comes from contact with infected birds.
Parrot fever remains on the rise across Europe, already taking the lives of five people since November of 2023.
The bird-based bacteria known as Chlamydophila psittaci can lead to psittacosis—known as parrot fever—in humans. The outbreak is considered limited to bird-to-human contact, leading the World Health Organization to classify the “risk posed by this event as low.” But that hasn’t stopped an uptick in cases in five different European countries, even as authorities struggle to determine the source of the infections.
Typically, psittacosis is mild, with symptoms ranging from a fever and chills to headaches, muscle aches, and a dry cough. Antibiotic treatment is often effective in curing the symptoms and staving off a more serious complication, such as pneumonia. Less than one in 100 cases results in death. Recent data, though, shows that five deaths have already been linked to the uptick in cases in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
In total, WHO reports that just shy of 100 people have been impacted by parrot fever in those five European countries in the last few months. The bacterial infection is most commonly found in 450 avian species, although it can impact a range of mammals. The bird-to-human contact is where it typically spreads, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and humans usually catch psittacosis by breathing in particles of the bacteria given off by infected birds in their breath, feces, or feather dust. Pet birds are the most common source psittacosis in humans.
While considered incredibly rare, there are cases of human-to-human transmission of the disease. “There is currently no indication of this disease being spread by humans nationally or internationally,” the WHO reports. “There is a low likelihood of further human-to-human transmission of the disease.”
Four of the recent deaths came from Denmark, which had seen 17 hospitalizations in the last few months turn into 15 cases of pneumonia before the deaths. While most of the cases in Denmark were linked to potential interactions with birds, not all the cases had that direct avian connection, suggesting “potential environmental exposure.”
In Austria, the 14 confirmed cases in 2023 represented a sharp contrast to the typical two cases per year. None of the cases in Austria were directly linked to birds. The obvious link to birds was also minimal in Germany and the Netherlands, where the fifth reported death from the outbreak occurred. Just like the other European countries, the rise in cases throughout the reporting countries shows a geographic spread, ruling out identifying of a common source of infection.
While the WHO says the higher reports of psittacosis in Sweden may simply come from changes in diagnostic practices, that isn’t the situation with the other countries in Europe. Parrot fever appears to be on the rise, but for now, it may remain an issue for those interacting with birds—both pets and in the wild.
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