Avian cholora epidemic us pacific northwest!

[Birdman666]

So far, the dead birds have all been migratory, and the outbreak has been confined to a remote area of Idaho. (Is there any non-remote part of Idaho?)

The feds are doing their best to pick up the bodies of the birds that have died before anything starts feeding on the corpses and picks up and spreads the disease, but eagles have been seen feeding on the dead ducks.

This has the potential to be very scary if it spreads...

And if I lived in the Pacific Northwest, including the Canadian side of the border with Idaho, I'd certainly be keeping my birds indoors at the moment...

 

[JerseyWendy]

Here is the relating article:
Thousands of geese fall from Idaho sky in likely avian cholera outbreak | US news | The Guardian

 

[starrynightxxi]

I dunno, I don't think our pet birds are at very high risk, most people taking their parrots out keep the birds pretty close in hand, or caged, and are not generally in areas where waterfowl congregate. If I had chickens or ducks I might be concerned.

That isn't to say that anyone who is worried shouldn't do what they think is right, but I don't think it is cause for panic.

here is some good info about the disease
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/field_manual/chapter_7.pdf

 

[Birdman666]

Panic is never a good thing, but it can be transmitted environmentally, and by insects, so outside birds are vulnerable to environmental exposure at the moment.

As a precaution, I would leave them indoors right now. That's all I was saying...

No reason to go overboard. Just leave them inside until the danger passes. Indoor birds are not at risk.

Outdoor birds, especially in areas where there is a significant migratory bird population, or things that feed on them, ARE potentially at risk.

Right now, it's the Canadian Geese that are dropping like flies.

I lived through the California Newcastle epidemic. I remember what that was like. That was a very scary thing, with entire flocks of pet birds having to be culled. Hopefully they can contain the spread of this...

 

[MikeyTN]

I feel awful for those wild life that passed due to the outbreak.....

 

[Hawk]

So far, the dead birds have all been migratory, and the outbreak has been confined to a remote area of Idaho. (Is there any non-remote part of Idaho?)

The feds are doing their best to pick up the bodies of the birds that have died before anything starts feeding on the corpses and picks up and spreads the disease, but eagles have been seen feeding on the dead ducks.

This has the potential to be very scary if it spreads...

And if I lived in the Pacific Northwest, including the Canadian side of the border with Idaho, I'd certainly be keeping my birds indoors at the moment...

I wouldn't be too concerned about that, it's a bird to bird contact disease, one that comes from contaminated soil, water food....the risk for a parrot (one that is not living in the wild) getting it is less than 1%. It's A few thousand geese poopin in a pond and then other geese come in from a flight bathe and drink the bacteria infested water and food.

These geese your talking about make many stops along their migrate route which sometimes is in infested small ponds of water with thousands of ducks, geese and other fowl....bacteria will then grow rapidly.

With parrots, I'd be more watchful over PDD than the Cholera....it's unknown what strain of cholera it is right now, but it can kill the geese in 12 to 24 hours.

One disease that is going around quite heavily right now is Marek's Disease thatis taking peoples chickens out at a rate of 2/3's the flock at a time. Very contagious. And State will make you off all your chickens if you have signs of it in your flock. We lost half our flock of chickens, had rest offed then completely disinfected the whole coop and run....we had gotten some chickens from some dude and those all died including half our flock, so, was something with his chickens. My parrots are fine as I wash completely in heated pole barn before going in house just to be safe. Been a few months now since that happened, but still, it's a scary thing to go thru. Marek's is no joke, to watch your flock go one, two 5 at a time...and nothing you can do. Nothing....and don't believe the hog wash that parrot's can't get it...that's B.S. They can.

Always be leery of Parrot breeders that also have chickens.....High probability there.

 

[MikeyTN]

That's part of the reason I'm against keeping poultry with parrots in a aviary condition like some people do.

 

[Hawk]

Panic is never a good thing, but it can be transmitted environmentally, and by insects, so outside birds are vulnerable to environmental exposure at the moment.

As a precaution, I would leave them indoors right now. That's all I was saying...

No reason to go overboard. Just leave them inside until the danger passes. Indoor birds are not at risk.

Outdoor birds, especially in areas where there is a significant migratory bird population, or things that feed on them, ARE potentially at risk.

Right now, it's the Canadian Geese that are dropping like flies.

I lived through the California Newcastle epidemic. I remember what that was like. That was a very scary thing, with entire flocks of pet birds having to be culled. Hopefully they can contain the spread of this...

I do agree with you on the fact insects can transfer the disease, that's very true. Normally we get an awful lot of geese passing over....funny there hasn't been that big of flocks heading toward the bay. In Michigan, they come up in and around the great lakes....there's a very large water fowl area in he thumb bay region....DNR designated it as their breeding grounds. The flock is far les than half of what it normally is. So that's a bit of an odd thing this time of year.

Last year a person I know lost their cockatoo from an insect bite....vet said he suspected a infected mosquito or tick...the people declined an autopsy on the bird since it was dead....but just saying yeah...it's a risk having your birds outside. Mine are usually on in a 4 seasoned porch, or when weather permits, the gazebo which I fully screened.

They Don't go out till May....and always supervised.

 

[Hawk]

That's part of the reason I'm against keeping poultry with parrots in a aviary condition like some people do.

We have chickens.....replacement stock....after many of ours snuffed it
from an infected Chicken we took in and added to our flock. Never Again.

Never had a problem with the parrots....Then they are no where near where we keep our chickens. When outside, they are in the Gazebo Screened, which is quite a ways from the chickens.

My wife's an ex Vet, so she knows all the signs and precautions.
All my parrots were bought (except one) from an Avian vet, that also owns an Avian store for parrots only. His birds are top notch.