"Parrot Fever" Raises Concerns in These Countries

Parrot fever is spreading in Sweden amid fears of a potential wider outbreak, with 25 cases of the disease reported. The illness, caused by a bacterium called "Chlamydophila psittaci," primarily transmits from birds to humans through airborne particles from the droppings of infected wild birds. In an interview with the Telegraph, Professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia stated, "Human-to-human transmission may be more common than previously thought." Parrot fever is a respiratory disease that can lead to severe pneumonia and meningitis, and it poses a significant risk to fetuses at 80 percent and to mothers at 8 percent. It also causes the death of 90 percent of infected young birds. Among the 45 cases recorded in Sweden earlier this year, reports indicated that 28 cases were related to handling poultry or caged birds, according to Swedish public health officials.