Swedish authorities have grown alarmed over a rise in cases of an infectious disease spread by birds. Parrot fever poses a severe risk to babies in the womb.
In total 25 cases have been reported in Sweden since September 25, and 12 more in December.
Parakeets, a popular pet breed, are known to carry the disease which is spread through airborne poo particles.
The UK already sees between 25 and 50 confirmed cases in England and Wales a year.
An expert in health protection has now warned that the rate of human-to-human transmission could have been underestimated.
University of East Anglia, Professor Paul Hunter told the Telegraph: “Human-to-human transmission may be more common than previously thought.”
Pregnant women face a significant risk, with an 80 percent chance of foetal mortality and an 8 percent risk of maternal mortality.
Furthermore, the disease kills a reported 90 percent of the young birds that it infects.
This disease is caused by Chlamydophila psittaci, a bacterial agent that is primarily transmitted from birds to humans via airborne particles from contaminated wild bird faeces.
Among the 45 cases reported in Sweden earlier this year, 28 were attributed to the handling of poultry, caged birds, or bird feeders, according to Swedish public health officials.
In 2022, a paper published in the Lancet journal highlighted the disease’s potential rise, calling it “an emerging public health risk to medical workers and other close contacts”.
Infections have been detected in eight Swedish regions, including Västra Götaland and Kalmar.