Are chickens bad for your health?

[blakeee]

One of my family members' partners believes that chickens are bad for your health. Her boyfriend is worried that the chickens are going to pass on some disease to her. I just don't believe it at all. Especially since she doesn't even go near the chickens. It's just crazy bizzare to me. Thought this would be a good conversation to have and to hear peoples views!

 

[theoldchick]

The very young and very old, and those with a suppressed immune system need to follow strict hand-washing protocol when handling chickens or any animal. Those who raise chickens or any bird need to be wary of fungal infections of the lungs-what old timers called 'Bird-Keeper's Lung'. However if you raise your birds in clean condition the risk is reduced.

 

[bobbi-j]

He probably saw something on the internet somewhere, saying something "could" be passed from chickens to humans. With all the backyard, farm, and commercial chicken keepers in the country (and around the world), I would think that if it were a huge threat, we'd have heard about it by now. Sure, a person "could" get salmonella from undercooked or raw eggs, but in my opinion that's more likely to happen in a commercial facility than in a backyard flock.

 

[drumstick diva]

If folks intend eating a bloody, raw chicken I would imagine they would get bad bacteria- but I don't know anyone who would.

 

[CCUK]

Here is a useful link. Most problems people seem to have is by not carrying out biosecurity and proper cleanliness. I do not know of anybody that has had any illness associated with chickens.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/m/#publication?id=IN631