There has been a surge in the cases of psittacosis in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands since late 2023, leading to increased fatalities.

The source of infections is usually infected birds, which can include both domestic and wild birds.

In Austria, the surge was not associated with wild birds, whereas in Denmark, the source of infection was found to be wild birds.

In contrast, the surge in Germany and Sweden was found to be due to increased contact with infected domestic birds and small birds, respectively.

However, no such association was found in the Netherlands.

The countries are now investigating and testing wild birds to understand better.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring the situation and says the overall risk is low.

The following measures have been suggested by the WHO: