The World Health Organization says cases of psittacosis - also known as parrot fever - are increasing in Europe. The fever caused by close contact with birds or breathing in bird droppings causes various symptoms, but can also lead to death.
The infection is caused by bacteria from the chlamydia family. People can become infected by breathing the dust of dried droppings or the secretions of infected birds. The disease is not spread by eating infected animals and person-to-person transmission is rare.