Health guide
Ornithosis/Chlamydia/Coryza
A respiratory syndrome in which Chlamydia psittaci is an important possible cause. Other bacteria or mixed infections can look similar, so the name alone is not a diagnosis.
How to recognise it
- Watery or swollen eyes, nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing or noisy breathing.
- Reduced activity, poor appetite, weight loss and sometimes green droppings.
- Chlamydia can very rarely infect people: use good hygiene and take extra care with any kind of sick animal around immunocompromised people.
Usual treatment approach
- Veterinary testing can include PCR on conjunctival, choanal and cloacal samples; one negative test may not exclude infection.
- Confirmed chlamydiosis usually needs a prolonged, uninterrupted prescription antibiotic course (usually doxiciclyn or tylo-dox) plus isolation and sanitation.
- A veces tambien se receta un tratamiento ocular optico como geles o gotas con antibiotico. Pero no reemplaza el tratamiento oral sistematico.
- Breathing distress, marked weakness or inability to eat needs urgent veterinary care.
Sources and further reading