Abstract
For the last five years and half, from January 1956 to June 1961 at the Sagamihara National Hospital, using the psittacosis antigen the complement fixation test and hemagglution test were made. The patients examined were consisted of 253 cases with primary atypical pneumonia and 216 cases with miscellaneous diseases excluding acute bronchtis.
Epidemiological Findings:
1) The incidence of the antibody of CF was significantly higher in the group of pneumonia (38.0 per cent) than in the group of the miscellaneous diseases (22.5 per cent). The incidence in the group of patients with pneumonia was already high in the age group of 0-9 years and showed significant difference among the age groups, while the miscellaneous diseases group showed an increase in incidence with age. These findings suggest that the group of pneumonia containins many psittacosis patients. The similar tendency was recognized on the HI antibody titer, too.
2) The incidence of the antibody did not show any difference between male and female.
3) The CF and HI titer was generally low. In the group of miscellaneous diseases no case of CF antibody titer indicates 2.4 ≤ and HI antibody titer 80 ≤. This indicated that the patients with CF antibody titer 2.4 ≤ and HI antibody 80 ≤ had recently been infected with psittacosis.
4) Patients with a definite increase and or decrease in titer or an unusually high titer were found in 16 per cent (42 cases) in the pneumonia group. While in the group of miscellaneous diseases no cases were found. The clinical picture of these patients was in accordance with that psittacosis.
5) In spring and fall more cases with psittacosis are seen than the other seasons of the year. And there is no significant difference between male and female. Among people who have had contact with pet bird, we have more patients with psittacosis than in others.
Clinical Observations:
1) Clinically the above described 42 cases have similar symptoms with those which are described in literatures. In general the symptoms are mild and the complications are hardly encountered.
2) Many mild cases recover spontaneously and the serious cases are treated and cured by administering Penicillin, Chioramphenicol, Tetracycline and Erythromycine, Sulfonamide is nearly ineffective.
3) There were no deaths.
