“PARROT DISEASE” IN GERMANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20958, 22 February 1930, Page 21

“PARROT DISEASE” IN GERMANY.

MANY CASES’ IN BERLIN. Numbers of 'people seen in the streets hastening with parrots in cages to the veterinary quarters of the Berlin Zoo, and the_ various bacteriological institutes of Berlin, are the outward and visible sign of the psittacosis, qr parrot disease, scare that has befallen Germany. Six deaths from this mysterious disease have occurred during, the past fortnight, and numerous cases of severe illness. The resemblance of the symptoms to acute inflammation of the lungs has, it is _ understood, prevented other cases which appear suspicious in retrospect from being recognised in time. Eighteen severe cases in Berlin have occurred in houses were a parrot been ill. or died, and have led the police to infer that all the present cases in houses where a new parrot has been bought can be traced to one particular consignment which arrived at Hamburg on the ship Cape Ancona, and were dehvered to various zoological firms. When this boat came into port again recently it was met by the director of the Hygiene-Bacteriological Institute (Dr Ekleles), whose mission it now is to ascertain the name and address of every purchaser of a Cape Ancona parrot. The Argentine has been discovered as the source of the Berlin eases. It is hoped by tracing every parrot of the infected consignment to obtain many birds for observation and, of course, to prevent further infection. The chief point of interest to the is that German scientific opinion _ believes that certain birds act as -carriers of infection in the same way as certain human beings are earners of typhoid germs, although immune themselves from the disease. .The germ of psittacosis, it is understood, Las been recognised as belonging to the para typhus group B Parrot owners in Germany are warned against letting their pets peek food from tneir lips or allowing themselves to be kissed or bitten by them. They are informed that this is a dangerous habit, as tuberculosis germs can be carried in tars way. psittacosis is still more or a m .ystery, it is stated that small “ * ots °r • lumps are found in * J? arr i? ts which have fallen victims to the disease. The disease, it is mI«l. CaUSee - le , bird to refuse nourishll,s wln ß3 hang down, and breathing n^f h D s a 7 Six cases rethat At< ? na '. near Hamburg, show ■hiim-jn V ,ISeaße a S h'Shly infectious among caupht A doctor and nurse both entered from one sufferer who eucnrrpp hospital in which they were waS d '+w time, people are sarilv ve* n °h a . Slc k parrots necesurouL, hay e Psittacosis, and that with bo,h of bird * matcr,al for study now. Fn the 'c-i R S ft P f al me a sur es will be taken transnorf ef L 3rap P r t ere > and the private conr'ne frnm P ?r ot + s by - sallors and others hFmniL/™ the tropics is likely to be Hamburg wi £ a ,t ure by Quarantine in g ap d other big German ports.