Psittacosis the 1920s–1930s outbreak in humans, a specific reservoir for serovar E has not been identified. The M56 and WC serovars were isolated during outbreaks in mammals. Treatment is usually with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or tetracycline, and can be administered through drops in the water or injections. Many strains of "C. psittaci" are susceptible to bacteriophages. Psittacosis was one of more than a dozen agents that the United States researched as potential biological weapons before the nation suspended its biological weapons program. The most high-profile death caused by parrot fever is that of Thea Selway, mother of Radiohead drummer and
Feral pigeon that wild birds would encounter in nature. "We couldn't infect the pigeons," Swayne said. "So that's good news." However, other contagion besides bird flu are transmitted by pigeons. For example, the bacteria "Chlamydophila psittaci" is endemic among pigeons and causes psittacosis in humans. It is generally transmitted from handling pigeons or their droppings (more commonly the latter). Psittacosis is a serious disease but rarely fatal (less than 1%). Pigeons are also important vectors for different species of the bacteria "Salmonella", which causes diseases as salmonellosis and paratyphoid fever. They are also known to host avian mites, which can infest human