My family tells me that my IRN has dangerous diseases

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
81
115
Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
Hey so everytime i cuddle with my ringneck my cousins and other family members keep telling me he has very bad viruses to the point i could die.. Is this true? They kept saying this repetitively and everytime I search up abt it i get no answers
(And if this is true is there some sort of vaccination that could get rid of these viruses?)
i wish u and ur birds a good day!
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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There are a couple of Viruses that can cross-species and infect both Parrots and Humans alike. Your National Government commonly keeps track of those specific Viruses that commonly affect your area during Migration periods in the Spring and again in the Fall.

If your Parrot is commonly kept in your home, the chances are vastly reduced. Always assure that you wash your hands and change clothing prior to interacting with your Parrot so that you do not bring the Virus to your Parrot especially if you are in contact with the ground, commonly as a result of gardening or playing on the ground.

Point being, you are more likely to bring a Virus to your 'indoor' companion Parrot then your Parrot giving you a Virus.

A guestion for you, what Avian Vet Care is available locally for your Parrot?
 
Last edited:

HeatherG

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Apr 25, 2020
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Hey so everytime i cuddle with my ringneck my cousins and other family members keep telling me he has very bad viruses to the point i could die.. Is this true? They kept saying this repetitively and everytime I search up abt it i get no answers
(And if this is true is there some sort of vaccination that could get rid of these viruses?)
i wish u and ur birds a good day!
No, that is not true. Almost no viruses are passed from bird to human or human to bird.

There are only a few bacterial illnesses that go between birds and humans and your bird would be visibly very sick if he had one of those. Honestly your bird is more likely to get sick from you than you from your bird. (Like if you let him pick your teeth or nose and he got an infection.)

Obviously you want to wash your hands after you clean the cage because every animal’s poop has germs. But this is common sense.

I feel safer around parrots than I do around little kids. Little kids are germ fests.
 

wrench13

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Most likely your family has heard of parrots transmitting Psittacosis to humans, and that CAN happen, but your parrot has to have it in order for that to happen. A vet can check for the presence of that disease. Other then that, care when handling your parrot and cleaning up cage and poops will prevent transmission of other virus or diseases. If you take your parrot outside, try to not let them hang out on tree branches or the ground, as wild birds do carry bird only virus and bacteria and you don't want your birdie to catch those!

I would try to enlighten up your family on this business of you getting sick from your parrot. A few well chosen websites reviewed with them should put a stopper in their vents.
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/...a called Chlamydia psittaci cause the disease.
 

Cottonoid

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I agree that you're safe. I think Saudi Arabia has had some human deaths from H5N1 Avian Flu but it's not very likely at all that your pet parrot has ever been exposed. It's a disease that has to be passed from an infected animal to another, not something that your IRN would have been born with, so the chance of him having now is almost impossible

My ringneck DID have a contagious bacterial disease, psittacosis, when I got him, that can be fatal to people, so I had to make sure I cleaned really well. But it was manageable and just meant I wasn't lazy about cleaning :)

From what I remember about your IRN you bought him from somewhere where he was with another bird, so he's been mostly inside, right? Not outside with wild birds? I think if he hasn't been exposed to wild birds outside (and not all birds carry Avian Flu) he's fine and you're both safe!
 

HeatherG

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Apr 25, 2020
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However, Cottonoid, your parrot was very sick, and Psittacosis generally makes birds very sick. In general we know it is a good idea not to touch or play with a very sick animal.

There are almost no bird viruses that spread to humans. You can feel assured that if you have a bad cold, you were not give it to your bird; and if your bird gets sick, you are also safe.
 

Cottonoid

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Yes, thank you, Heather! I knew Cotton was sick when I adopted him and it was very obvious at that point! I was trying to say that even though he did have a serious illness, I could avoid exposing myself by following my vet's recommendations for cleaning.

I agree that you can feel safe with your IRN!
 
OP
indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
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There are a couple of Viruses that can cross-species and infect both Parrots and Humans alike. Your National Government commonly keeps track of those specific Viruses that commonly affect your area during Migration periods in the Spring and again in the Fall.

If your Parrot is commonly kept in your home, the chances are vastly reduced. Always assure that you wash your hands and change clothing prior to interacting with your Parrot so that you do not bring the Virus to your Parrot especially if you are in contact with the ground, commonly as a result of gardening or playing on the ground.

Point being, you are more likely to bring a Virus to your 'indoor' companion Parrot then your Parrot giving you a Virus.

A guestion for you, what Avian Vet Care is available locally for your Parrot?
Thank you for that detailed message I appreciate it very much and all of that has been noted,
Also to answer your question there are a total of 7 avian vets in my area and i cannot count the amount of normal vets there are they're too much!
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
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No, that is not true. Almost no viruses are passed from bird to human or human to bird.

There are only a few bacterial illnesses that go between birds and humans and your bird would be visibly very sick if he had one of those. Honestly your bird is more likely to get sick from you than you from your bird. (Like if you let him pick your teeth or nose and he got an infection.)

Obviously you want to wash your hands after you clean the cage because every animal’s poop has germs. But this is common sense.

I feel safer around parrots than I do around little kids. Little kids are germ fests.
yea I know that i searched it up but thanks for confirming'!! Appreciate it
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
81
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Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
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Most likely your family has heard of parrots transmitting Psittacosis to humans, and that CAN happen, but your parrot has to have it in order for that to happen. A vet can check for the presence of that disease. Other then that, care when handling your parrot and cleaning up cage and poops will prevent transmission of other virus or diseases. If you take your parrot outside, try to not let them hang out on tree branches or the ground, as wild birds do carry bird only virus and bacteria and you don't want your birdie to catch those!

I would try to enlighten up your family on this business of you getting sick from your parrot. A few well chosen websites reviewed with them should put a stopper in their vents.
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/psittacosis/fact_sheet.htm#:~:text=Psittacosis is an infectious disease usually spread to,people. Bacteria called Chlamydia psittaci cause the disease.
Thank you i will try that! Also yes i do take him out but in his cage because im afraid he'd escape but he enjoys it when he is outside in the frontyard even whilst he's in the cage!!
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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3 year old indian ringneck
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I agree that you're safe. I think Saudi Arabia has had some human deaths from H5N1 Avian Flu but it's not very likely at all that your pet parrot has ever been exposed. It's a disease that has to be passed from an infected animal to another, not something that your IRN would have been born with, so the chance of him having now is almost impossible

My ringneck DID have a contagious bacterial disease, psittacosis, when I got him, that can be fatal to people, so I had to make sure I cleaned really well. But it was manageable and just meant I wasn't lazy about cleaning :)

From what I remember about your IRN you bought him from somewhere where he was with another bird, so he's been mostly inside, right? Not outside with wild birds? I think if he hasn't been exposed to wild birds outside (and not all birds carry Avian Flu) he's fine and you're both safe!
Thank you for confirming! Also yes he was always a bird in captivity I bought him from someone and he had a sister or something, also im sorry to hear about how your IRN was i hope he's healthy and happy now!!
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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3 year old indian ringneck
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Yes, thank you, Heather! I knew Cotton was sick when I adopted him and it was very obvious at that point! I was trying to say that even though he did have a serious illness, I could avoid exposing myself by following my vet's recommendations for cleaning.

I agree that you can feel safe with your IRN!
Also do you mind telli g me about these recommendations your vet gave you? I'd like to know them just in case, for the future if i need it (hopefully not)
 

Cottonoid

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Psittacosis transmission is most common in their poop and then gets into the air when their poop dries - so dried poop in the cage, they fly around creating a breeze, and now there are tiny bacteria particles we can't see all over the place.

The main recommendation was to change cage paper twice a day and wipe down the whole cage top to bottom once a day. I used F10 disinfectant (not detergent) diluted in water so I didn't have to rinse it.

Changing and washing food/water bowls twice a day, too.

And then I also changed my clothes afterward just to make sure I wasn't spreading anything to other parts of my house.

Cleaning poop right away is the main way to prevent psittacosis spread though as far as I know.

My parrot is now healthy and sassy :) and thankfully I didn't get sick! 🥰
 

HeatherG

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Apr 25, 2020
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That’s not a disease I’ve experienced, and I’m happy for that. I had a Quaker who had aspergillosis all her life but I was also very cautious with her care, mostly because she kept getting sick so easily! But as far as I know I did not catch that (aspergillosis) either which was so very very lucky.
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
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Psittacosis transmission is most common in their poop and then gets into the air when their poop dries - so dried poop in the cage, they fly around creating a breeze, and now there are tiny bacteria particles we can't see all over the place.

The main recommendation was to change cage paper twice a day and wipe down the whole cage top to bottom once a day. I used F10 disinfectant (not detergent) diluted in water so I didn't have to rinse it.

Changing and washing food/water bowls twice a day, too.

And then I also changed my clothes afterward just to make sure I wasn't spreading anything to other parts of my house.

Cleaning poop right away is the main way to prevent psittacosis spread though as far as I know.

My parrot is now healthy and sassy :) and thankfully I didn't get sick! 🥰
Yup no worries i always change the papers from the start of each morning and i clean poop outside the cage asap! Thans for conifmring!
 
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indianringnecks

indianringnecks

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Nov 23, 2022
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Saudi Arabia, Dammam
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3 year old indian ringneck
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That’s not a disease I’ve experienced, and I’m happy for that. I had a Quaker who had aspergillosis all her life but I was also very cautious with her care, mostly because she kept getting sick so easily! But as far as I know I did not catch that (aspergillosis) either which was so very very lucky.
Yea and i hope ur birds fine now, thanks for sharing!
 

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