FATAL PARROT FEVER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20491, 17 February 1930, Page 9

FATAL PARROT FEVER.

FIVE DEATHS JN ENGLAND.

THREE IN ONE FAMILY.

(Received February 16, 5.45 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 15. Five deaths from psittacosis,, or "parrot fever," have occurred in England in the past fortnight? The victims include Mrs. Rogers, of Barking, whose son and daughter had previously succumbed. Another son is in hospital. The Rogers family bought a parrot in January, which has since died.

Mr.' Heaton, a member of the Wimbledon Town Council, who owned eight parrots, has died, under a strong suspicion that he was suffering from the disease. The Ministry of Health is investigating the illness of four domestic employees at a Mayfair service fiat, which is occupied by an actress whose parrot has died. The Ministry is considering putting an embargo on the importation of parrots from South America.;

Although psittacosis is still more or less a mystery, it is stated that small greyish knots or lumps are found in livers of parrots which have fallen victims to the disease. The disease, it is said, causes the bird to Refuse nourishment; its wings hang down and "breathing is heavy and distressed. Six cases reported from Altona, near Hamburg, show tlat the disease is highly infectious among human beings. A doctor and i;urse both catgh r . the disease from one sufferer who entered the hospital in which they were engaged. At the same time people are warned that not all sick parrots necessarily have psittacosis, and that with proper care the majority both of birds ana human beings recover.

In Germany parrots are greatly loved as pets by flat-dwellers who are debarred from the joys of a garden or from keeping dogs and cats. It is hoped that the already very high standard of German efficiency in dealing with tropical diseases may profit by the material for study now offered. There havo been numerous cases of psittacosis and several deaths; The resemblance of the symptoms to acute inflammation of the Jungs has, it is understood, prevented otlier cases which appear suspicious in retrospect from being recognised in time. The cases in Germany were traced to a shipment of parrots to Hamburg from Argentina in the ,ship Cape Ancona. The German scientists who are investigating •the disease think that certain parrots act as carriers of infection, although . themselves immune. The germ is believed to belong to the paratyphus group B. People are specially warned against allowing parrots to touch them with their beaks iu any way.