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Can birds catch the stomach bug?

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Ardissa

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Both my (human) kids have been throwing up something fierce this past day and a half and the doc says it's gastroenteritis. My couch and chairs are covered in bedsheets and we're just weathering the storm, this happens at least 3-4 times a year. :(

Our two bird cages are each in a corner of our living room and the kids have been warned not to touch the birds. I've been diligent about washing my hands and changing my clothes after I clean up a mess.

I was wondering if I'm worrying about germs for no reason around my birds? I've never had birds and sick kids at the same time before, I don't know much about what is transmissible from humans to birds.
 

Monica

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If the disease/illness is not zoonotic, then no. Many bacterial and fungal infections that humans can get cannot be transferred to birds, with the exception of Chlamydia, one of the most common infections.

Here's an article about some others.
Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - Zoonotic (Bird-Human) Diseases: Psittacosis, Salmonellosis


So you may not have anything to worry about, but it's still a good idea to do what you are doing - i.e. cleaning yourself up before handling your birds.
 
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