I'm sick, are my birds safe?

Hi all.

I've been pretty sick for like three days now. Horrible cough, post nasal drip and queasy stomach. I don't really go to doctors unless I'm in danger of bleeding to death or something equally as heinous, so I don't know what it is.

Are my birds in any danger of contracting anything from me? I wash my hands quite frequently, never cough in their direction, and have been careful about having them near my face, but I still worry.

I doubt it. I wouldn't kiss all over them or go cough in their face, but for the most part, they don't catch our colds and flus and whatnot. It is POSSIBLE, but just not likely. I would be sparse around them until you recover, and it should be fine.

If you have just a cold or viral infection I wouldn't worry, but I keep contact with my fids to an absolute bare minimum when I have a cough. I have a few health problems and can pretty much guarantee as soon as I get a bit of a sniffle I'm going to end up with a chest infection to join it

The chance of a virus crossing over from human to bird is so small as to be essentially nil. It can happen (we've all heard of bird flu) but realistically it's not going to happen. Chest infections tend to be bacterial and often accompany a viral infection as your body is weakened by the virus and it manages to take hold where your body would normally shrug it off. Bacterial infections can quite easily pass to your bird.

Every time you cough if you are infected, you are releasing micro droplets into the air, regardless which way you're facing. Cover your mouth when you cough? Great, now your hand is contaminated, and everything you touch...

Are you aware of the terrible tragedy of Scott (wharfrat) and his birds? That was a rather nasty pneumonia, but the same principle and infectivity applies to a common chest infection. That alone meant my fids were fed, very basic clean and left to amuse themselves last chest infection I had. Its just not worth the risk.

Of course, that's assuming you're infected. Without being too gross, is it a 'productive' where you're hacking up lumps of phlegm (and if so, what colour) suggesting possible infection, or is it a dry irritated cough? Makes a difference!

To add to what Lucy1 is saying- You were *most* infectious before you ever knew you were sick, but you can still pass the illness on until your fever breaks. But there is still a low likelihood they will catch anything.

Again, best to minimize your interaction until you are better. It's always better to be safe than sorry, because certain illnesses can spread (or alternatively, they can "catch it", not become ill themselves but keep reinfecting you). I had that kind of scenario with one of my moms birds when I was a little kid. I kept getting reoccurring, severe infections of an uncommon strain of strep. I'd come off the antibiotics and be sick again in less than a week. It happened 13 times in a row (my parents refused a tonsillectomy) before they started investigating every remote possibility and finally found the cause- My moms amazon, whom I adored as a child and was always around was an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, and she had been infecting me over and over even though she never got sick herself. She was given a course of antibiotics and I never got strep again, though the amount and types of antibiotics I was given during it caused other health problems. No one knows if she was a carrier for years or if I caught it once, she caught it from me and just never got sick but harbored the virus. And certainly no one would have ever guessed it was the healthy, active parrot had everything else not been ruled out

LOL I just asked this question about a month ago! You already got the right answers - so don't worry. Pneumonia is the only thing that can pose a danger as far as I know. Just let your feathered friends comfort you and get better soon!

I guess it depends. Are you sick like "The Shining "? Or sick like the flu? If you're chopping through bathroom doors with an axe, then no, they're not safe.

veimar said:

LOL I just asked this question about a month ago! You already got the right answers - so don't worry. Pneumonia is the only thing that can pose a danger as far as I know. Just let your feathered friends comfort you and get better soon!

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Oh no. Is that true? My dad was diagnosed with pneumonia the other day, and Yoshi(My ekkie) lives at his house.. My dad doesn't handle him or put his face near his cage or anything, but could he still be at risk?
I haven't been going over because I'm pregnant and could really easily catch something like that myself. Now I'm worried for Yoshi.

Thanks Everyone. I don't know what this is. I don't have a fever, but a horrible cough, and my tongue is swollen...WTH?

Goalerjones, haha a! If I was Shining sick, my birds would be the only safe ones!!!

We have all been sick, from strep throat to bronchitis and everything in between. Both birds are fine. I wash my hands constantly and try and have less contact, but the birds don't care.

I'm still a bit weak but getting over upper respiratory infection along with both ears infected as well....I keep my distance from my birds when I'm sick....I don't take any chances period....

BirdyMomma said:

Goalerjones, haha a! If I was Shining sick, my birds would be the only safe ones!!!

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I have to agree BM, my first bird George, my Jenday was my lifeline when my marriage was on the rocks. He not only provided companionship but responsibility as well, which kept me busy and focused on him rather than my problems.

He was better than people to me at that time. God knew what he was doing when he brought George into my life.

Not saying it's a comprehensive statement but here is an outline of pneumonia and how it's passed on.
How do people catch pneumonia? - WebMD Answers