When should an epidemiological investigation into Chlamydia psittaci be initiated?

When should an epidemiological investigation into Chlamydia psittaci be initiated?

• A. When it's a human case
• B. Newly acquired avian case linked to human illness or another avian case from same source
• C. Both A and B
• D. Never

Answer: (C)

Psittacosis is a zoonotic infection that moves from birds to humans, so actions are triggered by signals in either humans or birds that point to a shared source. When a human case appears, an epidemiologic investigation helps identify how the person was exposed—what birds or environments were involved, what work or activities raised risk, and what measures can prevent additional cases. If there’s a newly acquired avian case tied to human illness or another avian case from the same source, that pattern indicates a potential outbreak or ongoing transmission from a common source, which also requires investigation to locate the source, halt exposure, and protect others. Because either scenario suggests a possible shared source and ongoing risk, initiating an epidemiologic investigation is appropriate in both situations.

Psittacosis is a zoonotic infection that moves from birds to humans, so actions are triggered by signals in either humans or birds that point to a shared source. When a human case appears, an epidemiologic investigation helps identify how the person was exposed—what birds or environments were involved, what work or activities raised risk, and what measures can prevent additional cases. If there’s a newly acquired avian case tied to human illness or another avian case from the same source, that pattern indicates a potential outbreak or ongoing transmission from a common source, which also requires investigation to locate the source, halt exposure, and protect others. Because either scenario suggests a possible shared source and ongoing risk, initiating an epidemiologic investigation is appropriate in both situations.