Diseases from Birds
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Parents and day-care workers should be aware that children under 5 years old should not touch baby chicks and ducklings. These baby birds can pass Salmonella bacteria to children and make them very sick. |
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Although birds can spread germs to people, illness caused by touching or owning birds is rare. To best protect yourself from getting sick, thoroughly wash your hands with running water and soap after contact with birds or their droppings. Different types of birds can carry different diseases. For example, baby chicks and ducklings often carry the bacterium Salmonella. This germ causes salmonellosis (sal-MOhn-el-OH-sis) in people. Parakeets and parrots can carry the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci (kluh-MID-ee-ah si-TACH-ee). This germ causes the disease psittacosis (sit-a-koh-sis). Pigeon droppings can have germs that make people sick. Some people are more likely than others to get diseases from birds. A person's age and health status may affect his or her immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. People who are more likely to get diseases from birds include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS, and people being treated for cancer.
National Center for Infectious diseases. http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/birds.htm |
