PARROT'S DISEASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 16

PARROT'S DISEASE

A SUSPECTED CASE AUCKLAND WOMAN'S DEATH WARNING BY DOCTOR DANGER OF BUDGERIGARS Symptoms in a recent fatal case of pneumonia which led to a suspicion that death was due to psittacosis, or parrot's disease, prompted a warning to budgerigar fanciers by Dr. J. P. Hastings at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday. He said that as this was the first possible case to be reported in the Dominion, and on account of the extreme mortality of the disease, it was a matter of national importance. " It would appear that a fatal case of this new disease may have occurred in Auckland," Dr. Hastings stated. I attended the patient, a woman, and in my opinion she was suffering from toxic pneumonia acquired from a budgerigar. Psittacosis attacks the parrot family, of which budgerigars are a member, and there have been a number of cases in which they have communicated the ! disease to man in Great Britain and other countries." Precautions In America The vast importance of the matter would be seen when it was realised that from 30 to 40 of every 100 cases proved fatal, and he mentioned the facts in order that the public and medical practitioners might be on their guard. Many proven cases of the disease being transmitted from budgerigars to humans were known in England and California, and in the United States it was illegal to move the birds from ono state to another without a certificate of health issued by an authorised veterinary surgeon. In the fatal Auckland case, Dr. Hastings explained, the patient resisted all forms of treatment and the whole clinical picture illustrated the possibility that death was due to psittacosis. As budgerigars were bred by the patient's family the inference was that the disease had been transmitted from them. He mentioned that officials of the Health Department and Dr. W. Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, were conducting investigations. Symptoms in Birds

Dr. Hastings added that the symptoms in birds affected were a loss of appetite, drowsiness, drooping of the wings and "general debility. In man the most usual symptom was pneumonia, which was exceptionally toxic. " 1 think that before we', as a board, issue a warning we should be thoroughly sure of our ground," commented Dr. E. B. Gunson.