• Main Authors: Fulmars The, Markus Klint, Björn Olsen
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Argentina; Faroe Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.510.6358; http://jenskjeld.info/artikler/clamydia.pdf

Chlamydophila psittaci was detected in 10 % of 431 ful-mars examined from the Faroe Islands. Analysis of ompA showed a sequence almost identical to that of the type strain. The origin of C. psittaci outbreaks in fulmars is dis-cussed. Despite a high level of exposure, the risk for trans-mission of C. psittaci to humans is low. During the winter of 1929–1930, widespread epidemicsof chlamydophilosis (psittacosis) occurred in Europe and the United States, and the causative agent was isolated from humans and affected birds (1). Presumably the epi-demics originated in Argentina (2), and the disease was exported by shipments of pet birds. From the Faroe Islands (Figure), 174 cases of human chlamydophilosis were reported from 1930 to 1938 (3). The human death rate was 20%; it was especially high (80%) in pregnant women. Experimental work confirmed that “psittacosis virus ” was