Can my bird catch my cold?

[Alyce Johnson]

I know I'm supposed to know better, but I'm finding that when it comes to my babies, as a relatively new parront, I'm worried, and reason has nothing much to do with it. So, I'm looking for some reassurance, I guess. One side of my mind is telling the other side that I'm being irrational...It's not a situation I'm used to.

Is there any possiblity my birds could catch my cold virus? I know viruses are supposed to be more or less species specific, but like I say, I'm worried even though my rational mind is telling me not to be. I have heard Berta sneeze every so often and know they do get similar symptoms (runny nose, sneezing etc).

I've been really sick this week, and she's been all over me, grooming me etc so I'm worried she could come down with something. Has anyone ever known of a bird catching a human cold? Please tell me that's not possible...

[Monica]

If she's sneezing, you sure she's not copying you???

No, it's not possible for them to catch your cold or vice versa... Birds can get colds but it's a different strain of virus for them, as it is for us.

The only diseases that can be transferred to human from bird or bird to human are zoonotic diseases! Those normally tend to be few and far between!

[kathleen]

Originally Posted by Monica

If she's sneezing, you sure she's not copying you???

Copying a sneeze? How cute is that? Never thought of that as a possiblity.

[poi_lover]

A couple months after I got Bo-Bo, I got a cold. I had heard Bo-Bo sneeze a couple of times, but not a lot. I noticed around this time he was sneezing more. One day, I pulled out a kleenex and was getting ready to blow my nose and he started his sneeze. Then, I realized he was copying me! He will even shake his head when he makes the noise.

[FeatherLover]

Togo "coughs" and "sneezes." His sneezes are so over-exaggerated. Silly birds.

[Alyce Johnson]

Berta only sneezes when she's grooming herself, and hasnt been sneezing while I've had my cold since her long running molt is finally mostly over. I was just worried as to whether a human could transfer a cold virus to a bird - she's been all over me since I've been spending a lot of time at home while sick and have let her be on my lap a lot & so on (and she grooms me a lot too).

I'm aware that bugs transferrable from animals to humans are rare - but I dont think I've ever read anthing that said whether the same was equally true in reverse. Most things you read are from the point of view of concern for humans, whereas I'm more worried about my bird.

Hopefully Monica is right though, and it's a different virus all together that causes birds to have upper respiratory problems. I tried to look that up, but couldnt find the name(s) of bird viruses causing their upper resp problems in any of my resources. Hence the post.

[Monica]

Here are some articles on viral, fungal, bacterial, and yeast infections... Many of those infections actually deal with respiratory...
http://www.fluffies.org/diseasesviral.htm
http://www.fluffies.org/diseasesbacterial.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww37eiv.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww45eiv.htm
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/july...ergillosis.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=3090
http://www.realmacaw.com/pages/yeast.html


Heres some articles on zoonotic diseases...
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww25eiii.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS019
http://petcaretips.net/bird-disease-transmit-human.html
http://www.tuxford.dabsol.co.uk/BestV1/3_2.htm