Bird Flu
Risk Factors
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General Information
So, you have a pet bird and are now worried about its potential danger of contracting the Bird Flu and
passing it to you or your family? Or maybe you were thinking of buying a pet bird but may now go with a
hamster instead for fear of bringing the Avian influenza virus home.
Well, what are the real chances of it affecting you or your pet birds?
The answer is practically none.
There
are many facts involved in this answer:
1. It is chiefly a waterfowl and poultry disease.
2. There is no cases in the USA in poultry or otherwise
3. Strict quarantine laws greatly hinder the possibility of an outbreak occurring (30 day quarantine)
4. There is not a case of human to human transfer yet .
5. The H5N1 strain is the only strain to affect humans.
6. Influenza viruses do not persist in environments outside the hosts for long period of time (ideal condition
about a week)
Now, I'm not going to tell you that it will never happen. In medicine and viruses there is no absolute. But, there
are so many factors against it that the possibility is a thousand times less than being stuck by lightning. Let's
examine this in more detail. This is mainly a Chinese strain that is effecting humans since 1997. It has not
yet passed on from human to human but with those people working with fowl, swimming in infected rivers,
playing in an area where carcasses were buried, or breathing air near a poultry processing plant, can lead to
infection. Unfortunately, Asian environments often involve people living in close quarters with poultry even
running into houses. It is not uncommon also for the oriental diet to include raw duck livers and other
unprocessed poultry products.
Bird flu has been around for more than a century and this is the only known strain to have mutated to affect
humans. Studies show that with viruses like this that it is far more likely, like SARS, that if this does develop
further, a person were more likely to contract this disease from an infected international traveller than from a
pet or wild bird. It is also unlikely that migratory birds will carry it east to west since migration is primarily
north to south.
Legal pet bird trade is safe. Quanantine periods and local breeding has further helped stop many illnesses
from being past around. It is admitted that Illegal pet trade is an X factor but strict laws have reduced
considerably the illegal trade, with most of the trade coming from South America to North America instead of
Asia.
Remember, unless it is an exotic large pet bird, it is more economically feasible to breed them locally.
Even large birds are being breed here. Also the chance of them getting in contact with a infected fowl is
slim. And the chance of your indoor pet bird drops off the map. So would I be afraid to buy that companion
pet bird from your local pet store. I'd have to answer No, there just no evidence so far to warrant any
cautionary measures.
CLICK HERE for more Bird Articles
CLICK HERE for some Vet notes on avian diseases
CLICK HERE to see Kids Spot Fun
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