Chlamydiosis
Syn: Psittacosis; ornithosis
Caution Chlamydiosis is a zoonotic disease, causing serious illness and sometimes death in humans.
Diagnosis
Gross pathology, examination of tissue impression smears for acid fast organisms, antigen detection in tissues by immunofluorescence (IFAT), PCR, histopathology, serology (pigeons only), isolation.
Specimens required
- Whole dead birds, for pathology, PCR, acid fast and FAT stains.
- Liver, spleen submitted fresh, chilled for PCR, acid-fast stain and IFAT on fresh smears (made at testing laboratory).
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Where (1) or (2) are not feasible, air dried impression smears from the serosal (not cut) surface of liver and spleen, and from conjunctiva. Submit duplicate smears, for acid fast stain and IFAT.
- Liver, spleen, conjunctiva and other representative tissues in buffered formalin, for histopathology.
- Sera, for serology. Ideally, paired sera should be submitted to demonstrate rising titres.
NB.
Serology is unreliable for most avian species other than pigeons.