Transmission of Tuberculosis between Men and Pet bird – a case report

Volker Schmidt (1) , Susanne Schneider (1) , Julian Schloemer (1) , Maria-Elisabeth Krautwald-Junghanns (1) , Elvira Richter (2)

1 Leipzig University / Universität Leipzig
2 Research Center Borstel

This report describes a case of Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis infection in an African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) kept as a pet bird. Diagnosis was confirmed by microbiologic and pathologic results, and indicates a human-avian transmission. Clinical signs included sublingual nodules resulting in anorexia, and signs of osteolysis in the long bones. Proliferation consisted of several nodules with small greenish-caseous foci in cross-section and revealed a severe granulomatous inflammation without intralesional acid-fast rods. M. tuberculosis was cultured from a pooled sample of sublingual and liver nodules and confirmed via PCR. Transmission between men and parrot was proved by spoligotyping pattern analysis. The absence of facial skin lesions and acid-fast rods within the tubercles is contrary to previous publications of tuberculosis in birds. This disease in a common pet bird species is of zoonotic importance and those parrots with close contact to owners suffering from tuberculosis may serve as a potential reservoir for human infection.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Volker Schmidt, Susanne Schneider, Julian Schloemer, Maria-Elisabeth Krautwald-Junghanns, Elvira Richter. Transmission of Tuberculosis between Men and Pet bird – a case report. Avian Pathology, 2008, 37 (06), pp.589-592. ⟨10.1080/03079450802428901⟩. ⟨hal-00540135⟩