Children and chickens?

[gaitngirl]

A gentleman came in to my office last week. We were talking about chickens (he raises meat birds, I have layers) and he had a fit when I told him about why many of my hens are so friendly. One of my coworkers raises the chicks I buy for the first couple of months. His wife and daughters handle the chicks daily. This gent said that there is a disease that is passed from bird to human that can affect women and girls (for years apparently - affecting girls into adulthood) and that children should not be handling these chickens. The brooder box is kept extremely clean, proper handwashing is followed, and the girls love the experience. Should I be worried? The man said I should not be around the chickens either - I'm past child-bearing due to age and an oopherectomy, so I don't worry about me. I'm a cancer survivor (almost 10 years 'cure' now). I was told I couldn't be around birds during or recovering from chemo, etc. (I used to do parrot rescue and had to quit for a couple years) but, once I was all done, the doctors said there should be no issues. I didn't have chickens at that time, though, so they weren't specifically brought up.
Can anyone tell me more about this issue or if it is even an issue???

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Did he tell you specifically what disease to which he was referring?
The only concern for pregnant women is Toxoplasmosis, which is a protozoa that rarely infect chickens and even more rarely infect humans. It doesn't come from handling chickens but from eating raw or undercooked meat of infected animals. Only people with immunodeficiency and unborn children are at risk. Infected women can pass it to their unborn children, resulting in serious damage.
It is important to wash hands after handling and use a dust mask when coop cleaning.
Chlamydiosis can be contracted from inhaling the dust.
Erysipeloid from infected birds if you have a cut.
Listeriosis - rare.
Aspergillosis from fungus is connom in poultry, rare in humans, again, from inhaling spores in litter.
Candidiasis can come from handling infected birds, again, hand washing is the cure.
Hen worker's lung is something a few people develop from prolonged exposure to dust.
Farmer's lung is similar but is from inhaling mold spores in grain or litter.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease from old dry chicken droppings or working in infected soil.
Mites, ticks, and worms are other things they can share with humans.

edited for spelling

 

[dawg53]

Just as long as personal hygiene is maintained, (with any animal,) I dont see a problem.

 

[casportpony]

It was probably salmonella, except that doesn't affect just women.

From:http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/

 

[casportpony]

Did he tell you specifically what disease to which he was referring?
The only concern for pregnant women is Toxoplasmosis, which is a protozoa that rarely infect chickens and even more rarely infect humans. It doesn't come from handling chickens but from eating raw or undercooked meat of infected animals. Only people with immunodeficiency and unborn children are at risk. Infected women can pass it to their unborn children, resulting in serious damage.
It is important to wash hands after handling and use a dust mask when coop cleaning.
Chlamydiosis can be contracted from inhaling the dust.
Erysipeloid from infected birds if you have a cut.
Listeriosis - rare.
Aspergillosis from fungus is connom in poultry, rare in humans, again, from inhaling spores in litter.
Candidiasis can come from handling infected birds, again, hand washing is the cure.
Hen worker's lung is something a few people develop from prolonged exposure to dust.
Farmer's lung is similar but is from inhaling mold spores in grain or litter.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease from old cry chicken droppings or working in infected soil.
Mites, ticks, and worms are other things they can share with humans.

This is also why pregnant women aren't supposed to clean cat litter boxes, I think.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is also why pregnant women aren't supposed to clean cat litter boxes, I think.

That's right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis

 

[gaitngirl]

He didn't say what is was - my coworker and I have both tried researching this and all we can come up with is toxoplasmosis. I figured if anyone knew about anything like this it would be someone on BYC.
Thank you for the information. That's a great list to have too ChickenCanoe.

 

[nok13]

its chlmydia which is otherwise known as

Psittacosis
In humans, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a dry cough. Pneumonia is often evident on chest x-ray.


these:

• Chlamydophila pneumoniae, also known as Chlamydia pneumoniae, an airborne chlamydial species responsible for human respiratory infection and numerous animal infections
• Chlamydophila pecorum, a chlamydial species common in livestock
• Chlamydophila psittaci, a highly virulent chlamydial species prevalent in birds
• Chlamydophila abortus, a chlamydial species that causes abortion in mammals
• Chlamydophila felis, a chlamydial species found in cats
• Chlamydophila caviae, a chlamydial species found in Guinea pigs

Etiologic Agent Chlamydia psittaci, a bacterium
my daughter had chlymidia but the human version, at the same time she had whooping cough which apparantly is making a come back, she is also ashtmatic so was horribly misdiagnosed.

my doctor friend had psiticosis that was also misdiagnosed so she diagnosed her self; (duh. we worked with zoo animals, she mostly with birds and reptiles, i, with goats et al) but she insisted, and they double checked and verified.

asperigullis is horrrible and very bad for anyone who is immune deficient or even prone to respritatory diesease like my doc friend. if there is a virus or bacteria or protozoa that can affect lungs, she gets it, and she now works with kids so is sick more hten she is well, however,

i would also say that working with children can give u more horrible diseases faster then a few healthy chickens: CMV is higher up on the possible contagioun scale then psiticosis...

good personal hygiene, healhty immune system, and , if u work with lots of animals, house hygiene are the steps to follow; (house hygiene means changing shoes and clothes from animal exposure to 'house' clean clothes BEFORE you enter the house (i used to strip down ont he porch really quick, and grab a housecoat to throw on to enter the house... put on a show for al lthe folks that walk past my house in morning and noon shifts for the dining room area at the top of our hill...

i got pregnant with my first while working with reptiles, my second i was working with all the animals and the third , i had animals in the house already also... i have friends that work at the 'big' zoo and had tiger cubs, monkey infants and god only knows what else all in their house, during and after pregnancies, with no problmes, but hand hygiens was a must... nothing like liquid soap and 15 minutes of scrubbing under finger nails....

working with sick people is much much worse...