C. psittacii IgG (IFA)
Sample: Serum
Schedule: Daily (Immunofluorescence)
Units: Titer
Range: Any positive result indicates past infection
Remarks: Psittacosis or ornithosis (parrot fever) is caused by the obligatory organism Chlamydia psittaci (C psittaci). This organism can infect parrots, parakeets, canaries, and other avian species (eg, turkeys, pigeons, ducks). The infection is trnasmited by nonpsittacine birds. The route for infection is the respiratory system after inhaling organisms from dried avian excreta. At th bigining the organism spreads via the blood stream to the reticuloendothelial system and then the bacteria causes lung infection.
