ornithosis
(ɔːnɪˈθəʊsɪs)
[f. ornitho- + -osis.]
A disease affecting birds, certain small mammals, and man, caused by a micro-organism belonging to the genus Chlamydia, and producing severe, sometimes fatal, pneumonitis in man and respiratory or generalized infection in birds and other animals. Cf. psittacosis. Hence orniˈthotic a.
| 1939 K. F. Meyer et al. in Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med. XLI. 173 (title) Complement-fixation test..as aid in recognizing latent avian psittacosis (ornithosis). 1947 W. P. Blount Dis. Poultry xliii. 388 There are, however, other allied virus infections of birds, such as that under investigation..in the pigeon, which is equally ornithotic. 1951 Lancet 29 Sept. 572/2 This monograph is essentially a review of present knowledge of the clinical features [etc.]..and treatment of psittacosis and ornithosis. 1959 Times 25 Mar. 8/6 A generalized virus infection known as psittacosis or ornithosis. 1966 Daily Tel. 4 Nov. 13/4 A much bigger danger..is the wood pigeon, which..suffers from ornithosis, more usually associated with budgerigars, that can give man a form of pneumonia. 1973 Observer 4 Nov. 5/3 A steadily increasing number of people..catch psittacosis—or ornithosis, as it is known in humans—from imported parrot-like birds. |