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Urgent Contact with potential PBFD birds

Megan Chan

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Mango
Short-version of the story (yeah really):

I own a 3-4 month old budgie at home.

A week ago, I went to Hawaii to visit a friend and her mom has pet birds (well aware of this point before I went). However, about 2 days into the trip, her mom let it slip that she thinks the two birds may be carriers of PBFD, but has never had them tested for it (something I did not know and she won't test them for it as she's stubborn). The birds (from what I've seen as I haven't touched them or really gone near them) look alright minus one having an overgrown beak they have to trim every so-often. They're both adult budgies and have been fine for the past 1.5-2 years other than the one with the beak issue. No feather loss, no appetite change, nothing. With that being said, they do reside in a semi-outdoor/indoor aviary where wild birds(lovebirds, doves, finches, cardinals, sparrows, etc.) can "hang out" with them. The wild birds go into their poop collection tray to catch fallen seed and the lovebirds hang out on the edges of the semi-outdoor part of the cages chatting with the budgies. None of the oh... 100-200 birds that frequent the yard seem to have any sign of PBFD. Seeing as how it's a contagious disease, I figured that one of them would show signs (specifically at least one in the flock of lovebirds since they seem to be able to contract it as well says the internet). There is one sparrow that has an overgrown beak, but a vet in the area says that's likely due to mites and has been like that for 3+ years with no other issues. The sparrow doesn't frequent where the budgies are held usually, but does access the rest of the indoor-outdoor house.

Currently I'm residing in a guest bedroom, directly above (2nd floor) where the budgies are (1st floor). We do "share" a vent system that hasn't been on since I've been here. However, it is an outdoor-indoor house in Hawaii and so people wear their shoes indoors and stuff around and the wind blows around and gets dirt everywhere.

Now here's where I'm stuck since I'm not even sure if their birds have it or not. Even if they do, I don't want to bring this back to my budgie at home, who is likely too young to have an immunity to stand up to it. I have two suitcases (one of which I haven't actually opened while I was here) and a backpack of stuff including a laptop and some books. I will have a change of clothes ready, the flip-flops I've worn around their house will be disposed of prior to landing, and I'm jumping in the shower for a thorough scrub down (everything will be scrubbed twice over) before I even go near my budgie. I mean, at least I don't have to disinfect a full house. Just whatever I brought with me. I have a bottle of F10-SC and a bottle of Vikon-S at the ready. How do you launder fabrics with this stuff? If I dump my clothes into a bucket full of properly-diluted F10 for like 20 minutes, would that be enough to ensure they are disinfected? Bleach would be great, but I wear alot of dark colors, so bleach probably wouldn't do good things. What about electronics (phone, laptop, etc.)? I figured I can spray down the designer bag I have (as I really don't want to get rid of it and I don't want to dump it in a washing machine). What about books? Any suggestions?

I'm leaving tomorrow too, so any help soon would be awesome. Thanks!

[Trying to remain calm]
 

Macawnutz

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Yes, soak or wash everything in F10. Suitcases when you get home, leave them in the garage. Shoes, hair ties anything that could carry anything to be safe.

After that, don't worry. They probably are not carriers as you would see more deformities most likely.
 

rocky'smom

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Sarah is right. suitcases into the garage the second you get home. nothing comes into the house until you F-10 everything. F-10 every blessed thing including under wear, shirts, shorts, flip flops, hair ties or wraps, shoes, socks, cosmetic bags, curling irons, hair brush, combs, throw the toothbrush away, books, magazines toss out. I volunteer at clinic and anything that comes out of quarantine goes into de contamination bags b/4 you walk out in to the real world. we spray F-10 directly into the bags and soak everything. double knots those bags and take them to laundry mat as soon as possible. wash as normal and dry on high heat. the suitcases you can put into big black heavy duty garbage bags spray them down and knot them the same way.
 

Megan Chan

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Mango
Yes, soak or wash everything in F10. Suitcases when you get home, leave them in the garage. Shoes, hair ties anything that could carry anything to be safe.

After that, don't worry. They probably are not carriers as you would see more deformities most likely.
Thanks! I figured they likely weren't carriers since they have several baby lovebird that seem fine... including one that lived directly with the budgies in question and had no pbfd effects. Everything will be left in the garage just to be sure until I can f10 everything.
 

Megan Chan

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Mango
Sarah is right. suitcases into the garage the second you get home. nothing comes into the house until you F-10 everything. F-10 every blessed thing including under wear, shirts, shorts, flip flops, hair ties or wraps, shoes, socks, cosmetic bags, curling irons, hair brush, combs, throw the toothbrush away, books, magazines toss out. I volunteer at clinic and anything that comes out of quarantine goes into de contamination bags b/4 you walk out in to the real world. we spray F-10 directly into the bags and soak everything. double knots those bags and take them to laundry mat as soon as possible. wash as normal and dry on high heat. the suitcases you can put into big black heavy duty garbage bags spray them down and knot them the same way.
Will do. I'm still skeptical about them having it considering the circumstances of the other 200 birds (not guesstimating.... they actually count) but better be safe than sorry. I'll be f10ing everything I can. I guess I can soak the designer bags I got this trip in f10 then hand wash them after they dry. Should I still wash stuff in the suitcase that hasn't been opened since I got here? It may have been opened once to grab a book out, but no more than 30 seconds... the stuff in there doesn't wash well.
 

rocky'smom

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I have coach leather bag and sprayed the daylights out of it, after we a psittacosis scare at the clinic. better safe then sorry is my way of thinking.
 

Megan Chan

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Mango
I have coach leather bag and sprayed the daylights out of it, after we a psittacosis scare at the clinic. better safe then sorry is my way of thinking.
Oh okay. Assuming your bag made it through okay, I'll be okay with spraying my bag down. I'm trying to err on the side of caution since its just suspected pbfd. They apparently have had two other parakeets that had missing tail feathers and long beaks but they were the two birds that got picked on... could also be nutrition. In total they've had 8 budgies and 1 love bird. 3 of which had this.... and the other 5 had beautiful feathers and beaks. Not sure what to think now.

I should note that I've visited them before with these birds in these conditions.... ( not knowing ) including having one of the three birds in question housed in my house for a week. My birds all lived good lives with no ill effects related to pbfd.
 
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