Psittacosis Europe in 1879. In 1929, a highly publicized outbreak of psittacosis hit the United States. Although not the first report of psittacosis in the United States, it was the largest up to that time. It led to greater controls on the import of pet parrots. The aftermath of the outbreak and how it was handled led to the establishment of the National Institutes of Health. From 2002 through 2009, 66 human cases of psittacosis were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and most resulted from exposure to infected pet birds, usually cockatiels, parakeets, and macaws. Many more
Derzsy's disease Derzsy's disease Derzsy's disease is caused by Anseriform dependoparvovirus 1, in the "Parvoviridae" family. It affects geese and Muscovy ducks. The virus is shed in the faeces and thus transmission is horizontal, via the direct faecal-oral route and also indirectly via fomites. Vertical transmission is also possible. Clinical disease only occurs in young geese and ducks between birth and 4–5 weeks of age. Several genotypes have been described. The genotype is based upon the sequence of the VP3 protein. Acute disease leads to death in most birds between the ages of 7–10 days. Clinical signs are quite limited in those