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

[Pattys coop]

Thanks for all of this great information on Histoplamosis.

 

[Swampgal]

This is undoubtedly the most important posting on BYC. When I got into chickens 4 years ago, I thought I had researched the prospect thoroughly. Unfortunately, for two years I cleaned out the chicken tractor without a face mask. Although I have not been tested, my symptoms mimicked yours. My hope is that I am healthy enough to keep the fungal infection at bay. Now my husband deals with the cleaning, and he wears a heavy duty shop respirator!!!!

 

[lilygessert]

I almost lost a lung to this disease. Its VERY serious
Do not put a coop NEAR YOUR HOUSE
IN rural Illinois where my Mom taught school you drive around and coops are at least a 2000 ft from the backdoor for a reason

 

[capark63]

I don't know if this has been talked about before but I wanted to warn you ! I was sick 4 weeks ago with severe like symptoms and trouble swallowing food. Then last Sunday I had 103 fever and flu systems again ! (I have had a flu shot) One of our BYC members answered a post from me asking if I could get sick from chickens. Told me to look up Histoplasmosis. I did and then called my doc. She did blood test and that is indeed what I have.

There is a fungus in every chicken area especially in the litter ! If you don't wear a mask anytimeyou stir up shavings or clean up poop you can inhale these fungus spores into your lungs !!!!!/img/smilies/sad.png

This can make you very sick and if your immune system is week it can cause major damage to organs like lungs and liver etc.


I am lucky that my immune system has been able to fight it off by itself with out any sign in my chest xray. 


PLEASE BE VERY CARFULL WHEN IN THE COOP ! WHEN YOU CLEAN IT OPEN ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS !


WEAR A MASK !!!!!!!/img/smilies/wink.png Stay healthy and protect yourself. It is most common in Central and eastern united states according to the CDC.

Google Histioplasmosis and there is alot of info.

 

[capark63]

B

I don't know if this has been talked about before but I wanted to warn you ! I was sick 4 weeks ago with severe like symptoms and trouble swallowing food. Then last Sunday I had 103 fever and flu systems again ! (I have had a flu shot) One of our BYC members answered a post from me asking if I could get sick from chickens. Told me to look up Histoplasmosis. I did and then called my doc. She did blood test and that is indeed what I have.

There is a fungus in every chicken area especially in the litter ! If you don't wear a mask anytimeyou stir up shavings or clean up poop you can inhale these fungus spores into your lungs !!!!!/img/smilies/sad.png

This can make you very sick and if your immune system is week it can cause major damage to organs like lungs and liver etc.


I am lucky that my immune system has been able to fight it off by itself with out any sign in my chest xray. 


PLEASE BE VERY CARFULL WHEN IN THE COOP ! WHEN YOU CLEAN IT OPEN ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS !


WEAR A MASK !!!!!!!/img/smilies/wink.png Stay healthy and protect yourself. It is most common in Central and eastern united states according to the CDC.

Google Histioplasmosis and there is alot of info.

. Is it safe to add chickens to your flock if they came from someone suffering histoplasmosis?

 

[Jan Nix]

Hello girls. I was raised in the beautiful NW GA mountains and often played outside, but as far as I know was never exposed to chickens. My eye doctor has said from time to time that we needed to watch some scaring around my retina as I was growing up. I never paid much attention to that. I am pretty flip about my own health

. About 7 years ago I lost my vision in my left eye.... exactly in the middle... a perfect black spot. After being flip about that for a couple of weeks... I went to a retina doc. He put 3 injections in my eye 4 weeks apart. My vision was great for 4 years then I had to do it again.... now this is my 3rd time and I'm not sure as of yet how these injections will work. The medication is called Avastin. It is a miracle that God just put on the market about 3 years before I lost my vision ..... Dont be flip.... be hip and take care of yourself . Jan

 

[ChickenSmurf]

New to the chicken scene. What mask do you recommend? I just ordered "Gateway Safety 80502V TruAir Vented N100 Particulate Respirator." But it comes in a pack of 5, so I assume they are disposable. I think I'd prefer reusable. What do you use/prefer?

 

[sbhkma]

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013SIIBME/ . I replace the filters every 3 months. I have asthma so I try to be careful about stuff like this. It's pretty comfortable but does get a bit hot cleaning a coop in this Texas heat!

 

[ChickenSmurf]

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013SIIBME/ . I replace the filters every 3 months. I have asthma so I try to be careful about stuff like this. It's pretty comfortable but does get a bit hot cleaning a coop in this Texas heat!

Thank you! Will get that one when my disposables are gone. I have asthma too, and something has really messed with it since I moved the chicks to the coop. Just learned about histoplasmosis yesterday and wonder if I have it.

 

[andreanar]

My mother lost total vision in her eye from histo when she was a child. She lived on a farm and was in charge of cleaning the coops and collecting eggs.