Epidemiological investigation and analysis of the first case of psittacosis-associated severe pneumonia in Xiushan County,Chongqing
Tang Xiaoqing
Wang Yuting
Yang Chuan
Qin Jing
Wu Xiaohua
Huang Zhi
Abstract：Objective To describe the epidemiological characteristics of a case of psittacosis-associated severe pneumonia in Xiushan County,Chongqing,in July 2024,explore the etiology and influencing factors,and provide a reference for the pre-vention and control of psittacosis.Methods Epidemiological data were collected through telephone interviews and on-site investi-gations.Pathogen detection was conducted on samples from the patient,close contacts,and the environment.Results The patient was a 66-year-old overweight female with a history of hypertension.She was admitted for fever,chills,cough,generalized muscle aches,and dyspnea for 4 days.Chest CT indicated lung infection.Blood and sputum cultures tested positive for Chlamydia psittaci via polymerase chain reaction(PCR).The patient had a suspected history of exposure to infected poultry.Overall,four close contacts were identified;after 7 days of home medical observation,no abnormalities were found.Eighteen environmental samples were tested for Chlamydia psittaci nucleic acid;three fecal and three sewage samples were positive,while the remai-ning samples were negative.Conclusion The case was likely caused by contact with infected ducks and exposure to an envi-ronment contaminated with Chlamydia psittaci.It is recommended to strengthen pathogen monitoring in live poultry mar-kets,regulate poultry farming practices to prevent interspecies transmission to humans,and strengthen awareness among healthcare workers to prevent severe outcomes.Additionally,public health education should be promoted to raise awareness of psittacosis.
Keywords：PsittacosisChlamydia psittaciEpidemiological investigationZoonosis
Publication Date：2024-11-20
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 7-10 )