日本におけるオウム病 原発性異型肺炎, 急性気管支炎の補体結合反応による分析

Abstract

In view of the recent discovery of psittacosis in avian species and human beings in this country, a survey was conducted on the patients at our hospital from January, 1956, to December, 1958. The complement fixation test using the psittacosis antigen was extensively employed. The patients examined were consisted of 160 cases with primary atypical pneumonia, 119 cases with acute bronchitis and 3 cases with middle lobe syndrome. As the control a group of patients with other miscellaneous diseases was included in the study.1. The incidence of the antibody in the miscellaneous disease group increased with age and reached a plateau at the age of 40-49 years. This finding strongly suggests that the disease is endemic in this area.2. The incidence of the antibody was significantly higher in the groups of pneumonia and bronchitis (46.9 and 38.7per cent, respectively) than in the control group (26.1per cent). The difference in incidence between the pneumonia and bronchitis groups was also highly significant. The incidence in the groups of patients with pneumonia and bronchitis was high already in the age group of 0-9 years and did not show any significant difference among the age groups, while the miscellaneous disease group showed an increase in incidence with age. These findings suggest that the groups of pneumonia and bronchitis contain many psittacosis patients. However, no significant difference in incidence was discernible by week of disease in these patient groups.3. The incidence of the antibody did not show any difference between male and female.4. The complement fixing titer was generally low. However, some patients of the groups of pneumonia and bronchitis showed higher titers in contrast with the miscellaneous disease group, a fact supporting the view that those two groups of patients contain psittacosis patients. The distribution of the titer in the control group of patients with miscellaneous diseases gave one of criteria for serological diagnosis of psittacosis.5. Patients with a definite increase and or decrease in titer or an unusually high titer were found in 11.9per cent (19 cases) in the pneumonia group and 2.5per cent (3 cases) in the bronchitis group. The clinical picture of these patients was in accordance with that of psittacosis. Of the 3 cases with middle lobe syndrome 2 showed serological evidence of recent infection with psittacosis virus. Middle lobe syndrome observed in these cases was probably produced by psittacosis infection. The appearance and persistence of the complement fixing antibody were analysed with those serologically diagnosed cases.6. A significant correlation shown between the presence of the antibody in the patient and pet birds at his household suggests the importance of parakeets, particularly budgerigars, pigeons, bengalees, Java sparrows, and canaries as the source of human infections with psittacosis virus. Chickens were also suggested to be one of the sources of the virus, although they might be of less importance.A similar analysis was performed in relation to domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and cats, but no correlation was found.