Histoplasmosis !!! Please read !!! Important for all !!

[gypsy2621]

Because of this tread I have just been diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis.
which in a way is the same parasite ( I believe)
keep in mind and please do more research, you dont just get this from cleaning your coops, it is found in the water , the grass, plants, fruits, vegetables, anything that basically poops/ or has been fertilized will shed the parasite. you can even get both by not thoroughly cooking meats, though raw meats are much worse. the list is very long as to what harbors Histo and Toxo.
before anyone panics that its their chicken coop, think back and remember what else you have cleaned.
I have snakes, birds( indoor) trantulas and dogs and up until recently cats. it could have came from any one of those or it could have been contracted years ago, I have had many animals over many years, chickens included.
Just because it was just now diagnosed doesnt mean the health issues I have been experiencing over the years is something that came on suddenly, from what I understand in this short period you can feel sick for years before it gets to a dangerous level. Or you may never feel Ill at all.
ugh its a frightning thing to know you have.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I think this thread reminds us all to be careful when tending to any of our animals. There are a variety of diseases that you can catch or transmit to others. I always wet down bedding with a hose mister when changing poultry bedding, I wear gloves and a respirator mask made to exclude pathogens/germs. I use bleach to disinfect pens, bowls, scoops, waterers, etc. I have a foot bath for my shoes where I can scrub down the shoe with bleach. I use germicidal bleach and also bleach for outdoor surfaces. You can get it at home depot. I think it is part of responsible ownership keeping your pens clean and yourself protected from diseases with proper protective gear. I also have sani-gel dispensers by the door of each pen. You can get those at club stores for a reasonable price and they have cheap refills. I also have soap at each of the faucets near my animal pens.

 

[claud]

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the organism Toxoplasma gondii
Histoplamosis is caused by the organism Histoplasma capsulatum

Both have been around forever. Histoplasma used to get a lot of attention from the infections it caused in people living in housing that had a lot of pigeons in the roof.

Up to 95% of people living in warm climates are exposed to Toxoplasma gondii and most never know it.
When I was pregnant my doc said since I had cats most of my life I was most certainly already exposed but just wear a mask when changing the litterbox as a precaution.

It is important to note that these diseases CAN be serious but in MOST cases they are not.

It's ALWAYS a good idea to wear a mask in dusty/feces laden environments.

 

[sadie777]

This kind of freaks me out a little! I've only had my chickens for 2 weeks. I bought 15 Red Star pullets... drove all the way to Virginia to get them and brought them back to Tennessee. I'm wondering if they were contaminated by being is such close quarters caged in a truck and pooping all over each other. I'm new to all of this, and didn't know there was any dangers to having chickens in the backyard, nor did I read anywhere that precautions were necessary... or that I would have to wear a mask and a special set of clothes every time I walk into the 8x8 coop to clean the roosts or rake around the wood shaving litter floor... stirring up dust.

What creeps me out is that my best friend came over from North Carolina with his 7-year-old daughter a week ago tomorrow. They just briefly walked into the pen and she petted a chicken. The next day, she woke up feeling fine and took a shower. She gradually started feeling bad... then worse and worse. Her fever went from 99 to 103.6 in a matter of two hours. She was shivering and chilling, and they left early. She threw up when she got home and still had a 100-degree fever last I heard a few days ago.

My wife is 7 months pregnant, so needless to say, she will not be going anywhere near the chickens!!!

I already sold 5 of them because I got too many. Now, I think I'll sell 4 more and just keep 6 total. That way, it will be easier to manage the coop and I won't have to clean the roosts as often. No pun intended, but this is a bunch of crap.

 

[Artie]

Oy! Right now I have seven chicks ranging in age from 2 weeks to 12 weeks and they are all in a small bedroom in my house! This is probably not good. I'm in Minnesota and it's just too dang cold to put them outside. I did not realize they could cause illness like this. Not sure what to do.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

I had dismented Histoplasmosis that I contracted from some Turkey poults. My liver and kidneys shut down and I ran a fever over 105 for a week. It took my family forcing the local hostpital to get me transfered as they were telling them I was dying and they had no idea why. 24 hours with a specialist and I was getting better. I still have issues, the high temp caused some brain damage, and the end results to my liver and kidneys wont be known.

Wash your hands, use a good quality mask when cleaning the coops or cages. I wouldnt wish this crap on anyone!

 

[sadie777]

Quote:
Okay... don't worry. I've done a lot of research this afternoon, so now I'm an expert.

Everything I've seen says this is a SOIL thing. You do not have a dirt floor in your house, hopefuly, so you should be fine.

Just take precautions when dealing with the poop. Use common sense. There might be other bacteria you should be cautious with if they're living inside though.

And based on what I've read, histoplasmosis has an incubation period of 7-14 days, so it is very doubtful my friend's daughter caught it in 12 hours after she pet the chicken. That being said, I am reducing my small flock from 10 down to 6... it was at 15 2 weeks ago. 6 Red Stars should be plenty for eggs for my family of 3 and our neighbors, which I plan on bribing so they won't complain. 15 was overyly-ambitious for my 1/3 acre lot and 30x60 garden. BUT, my 6 chickens will have an extra large coop and run designed for up to 25!

I also plan on wearing a mask and cleaning the poop off the roosts once per week, rigging up a watering system so I can do it from the outside and not have to enter the pen every night, using bleach more often, etc...

My soon-to-be-born daughter will not be allowed around the chickens for a few years either!

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
The average person with a healthy immune system has nothing to critically worry about. People have been raising poultry and livestock in general for thousands of years, and if it was so detrimental to ones health, they would have stopped it a waaayyyyy long time ago. Especially in this overprotective day & age.
As long as you are aware of the potential risks and practice safe, hygenic maintenance to both yourself & your animals, you should be ok.
And as for the seven year old with the fever, I wouldn't go selling or culling your whole flock just yet. Children are little germ factories that get sick all the time. Just because she petted a chicken once does not mean that you are responsible for her illness, so don't beat yourself up about it.

It is irresponsible to approach chicken keeping, or owning any animal for that matter, without first educating yourself on the responsibilities and risks involved before acquiring said animal. But just because there are risks does not mean that there can't be enjoyment also. The educated animal owner is the one usually commonly free from most problems & disease. Not to say your animals can't or won't get sick, but at least you will know what to expect & how to deal with it accordingly. Any animal or person can & will become ill, even in the most pristine environment. Think of all the birds, insects and wild animals that poop in your yard on a daily basis. Still gonna enjoy that backyard barefoot stroll this summer?

There are so many possible vectors for disease: insects, wild birds, wild animals, rodents, tainted food, water supply, even digging in the dirt in your garden releases spores & bacteria. I'm just saying that you shouldn't worry yourself sick worrying about getting something from your chickens. If you take precautions, have a clean environment and bought your chicks from a reputable breeder, I think you & your birds are pretty safe.
And I do know there are exceptions to every rule, too.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
Okay... don't worry. I've done a lot of research this afternoon, so now I'm an expert.

Everything I've seen says this is a SOIL thing. You do not have a dirt floor in your house, hopefuly, so you should be fine.

Just take precautions when dealing with the poop. Use common sense. There might be other bacteria you should be cautious with if they're living inside though.

And based on what I've read, histoplasmosis has an incubation period of 7-14 days, so it is very doubtful my friend's daughter caught it in 12 hours after she pet the chicken. That being said, I am reducing my small flock from 10 down to 6... it was at 15 2 weeks ago. 6 Red Stars should be plenty for eggs for my family of 3 and our neighbors, which I plan on bribing so they won't complain. 15 was overyly-ambitious for my 1/3 acre lot and 30x60 garden. BUT, my 6 chickens will have an extra large coop and run designed for up to 25!

I also plan on wearing a mask and cleaning the poop off the roosts once per week, rigging up a watering system so I can do it from the outside and not have to enter the pen every night, using bleach more often, etc...

My soon-to-be-born daughter will not be allowed around the chickens for a few years either!

Nice job on the research, Sadie! Education is the best medicine for almost anything.

 

[Celtic Chick]

The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow is a must-read. She addresses poultry diseases & illnesses, and illnesses/disease that humans may acquire from them.
It says Histoplasmosis is not spread directly from chicken to person, or even human to feces, but rather from breathing in large numbers of spores from dried poop in an old coop or in the dirt where a coop might have once been. And it generally only manifests in those with immunodeficiency disorders.
It also states that no treatment is needed, for it will clear up on its own, again for those with healthy immune systems.