An outbreak of psittacosis at a veterinary school demonstrating a novel source of infection
Jocelyn Chan,
Bridget Doyle,
James Branley,
Vicky Sheppeard,
Melinda Gabor,
Kerri Viney,
Helen Quinn,
Orly Janover,
Michael McCready,
Jane Heller
Affiliations
Jocelyn Chan
Health Protection New South Wales (NSW), NSW Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia
Bridget Doyle
Public Health Unit, Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Albury, NSW, Australia
James Branley
Pathology West Nepean, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Vicky Sheppeard
Health Protection New South Wales (NSW), NSW Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia
Melinda Gabor
State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Primary Industry, Menangle, NSW, Australia
Kerri Viney
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia
Helen Quinn
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Orly Janover
Public Health Unit, Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Albury, NSW, Australia
Michael McCready
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Jane Heller
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
In November 2014, New South Wales Health was notified of a cluster of respiratory illness in a veterinary school. Active case finding identified another case at a local equine stud. All cases had exposure to the equine fetal membranes of Mare A. This tissue subsequently tested positive for Chlamydia psittaci using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We conducted a cohort study of the university and stud farm staff to determine risk factors for disease. Nine people were exposed to the fetal membranes of Mare A. Of these, five cases of psittacosis were identified. Two required hospital admission. Contact with birds was not associated with illness (RR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.09–2.73). People who had direct contact with the abnormal fetal membranes were more likely to develop disease (RR = 11.77, 95% CI = 1.02–∞). The emergence of an association between horse exposure and C. psittaci infection has important implications for the prevention and control of psittacosis. Article summary line: Investigation of an outbreak of psittacosis in a rural veterinary school demonstrates novel source of infection for psittacosis through exposure to abnormal equine fetal membranes.
