Occupational illness of Psittacosis in the United States has been documented in association with which birds?

• A. Turkeys and Chickens
• B. Parrots
• C. Pigeons
• D. Ducks

Answer: (A)

Psittacosis is an infection from Chlamydia psittaci that humans get when exposed to infected birds, often through inhaling dust from dried bird secretions or feathers. People who handle birds in occupational settings are at risk, and outbreaks have been documented in workers with poultry production, including turkeys and chickens. While parrots and other psittacine birds are classic sources of psittacosis in the general sense, in U.S. occupational health reports the association with poultry—turkeys and chickens—has been more consistently documented in workers who are exposed to large numbers of birds. Pigeons and ducks can carry the organism too, but the strongest documented occupational link among the given options is with turkeys and chickens.