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Case Reports: Rare disease
Persistent renal replacement requirement following fulminant psittacosis infection in pregnancy
  1. Layla B Guscoth1,
  2. Dominic M Taylor2 and
  3. Felicity Coad3
  1. 1Anaesthesia, Epsom and Saint Helier Hospital NHS Trust, Carshalton, Sutton, UK
  2. 2Richard Bright Renal Service, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
  3. 3Acute Medicine, Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust, Bath, Bath and North East Somer, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Layla B Guscoth; layla.guscoth{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Chlamydia psittaci is a zoonotic bacterial infection that most commonly causes mild flu-like symptoms in humans. However, in pregnancy, it can present as fulminant psittacosis associated with systemic illness, disseminated intravascular coagulation, renal and hepatic failure. We describe a case of a veterinary nurse in her 30s who presented at 32 weeks’ gestation with rapidly progressive multiorgan failure, with positive, C. psittaci serology. Further history revealed that she had delivered a number of dead lambs in the preceding weeks to her illness, highlighting the importance of a thorough social history. C. psittaci should be suspected in the differential as a causative organism for severe pneumonia with multiorgan failure particularly in pregnant women with animal or bird contacts.

  • Infectious diseases
  • Mechanical ventilation
  • Intensive care
  • Obstetrics and gynaecology
  • Renal medicine

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2022-250221

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors LBG contributed to the data collection, interpretation, planning, conception, drafting the article, revision and approval of the article. FC contributed to the planning, conception, design, revision of the article, final approval. DMT contributed to the revision of the article, final approval.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.