A Ticklish Parrot-dox: Dual Diagnosis of Lyme Carditis and Psittacosis

Abstract

We present a young female who presented with three weeks of dry cough, dizziness, shortness of breath, headache, and chest pressure. She was found to have atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation and complete heart block, and eventually diagnosed with Lyme carditis. She was also diagnosed with psittacosis based on her high risk exposure to bird feces and her symptoms of dry cough and headache that persisted despite the initiation of treatment for Lyme disease. This case highlights the need for high clinical suspicion and early treatment of Lyme carditis in younger individuals living in endemic areas.