The man was probably infected 10 days before he died when he cut down a tree with a large bird's nest in southern Sweden, the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra reported Wednesday.
Parrot fever, also known as psittacosis, is common in birds but can also spread to humans. It proves fatal in approximately 1 percent of the cases.
Between 1999 and 2008, 124 cases of parrot fever were reported in Sweden, statistics supplied by the Institute for Infectious Disease Control indicated.
The institute is urging people who handle birds or work near their nests to use extreme caution and be sure to wash their hands thoroughly, TT reported.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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