Can chicks in the house make me sick ?

[morelcabin]

Well I get very sick from chicken dust...and would never keep them in the house if I have young kids...that could cause all kinds of problems. STD' s I wouldn't worry about...but the farmers your husbadn is talking to are probably refering to Mereks, which is a kind of herpes.

 

[Chicken Woman]

How would my chicks have Mereks ? i hatched all of them myself. Is it possible for them to just have it without being exposed to other birds ?

 

[morelcabin]

I would assume they have to be exposed to it, but I am really not sure

 

[nnbreeder]

Most diseases are specific to the host species and must go through many changes before it can make a jump to another species.

Good sanitation practices are the front line to preventing the spread of any disease.

 

[nnbreeder]

Even though Marek's is a form of Herpes it won't make the jump from chicken to you. Just in case nobody has ever told you a cold sore on your lip is a herpes virus.

And yes it can be assumed that all flocks have been exposed to the Marek's virus unless they have been raised in very strict bio-secure facilities according to the Merck Vet. manual.

 

[momofdrew]

I read on here today that you can put a cheap furnace filter on the brooder and it cuts down the amount of dust in the air...

 

[nnbreeder]

For small batches of chicks I use the covered cat litter boxes with a light mounted inside. Most of those have filters in them too.

 

[Chicken Woman]

I bought a pack of 3 furnace filters a walmart pretty cheap. Half of the brooder box is covered with a piece of plywood the othe half is coverd with 2 filters. I'll see if that helps with dust.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[mypicklebird]

I think the co-workers are confused, but not totally off the mark. Chickens, along with just about every other animal we choose to keep around us can harbor zoonotic (meaning can be transmitted to humans) disease- but the problem is not that common in home flocks where decent sanitation is practiced.
Chickens can carry and get sick from many viruses and bacteria, most of which are fairly host specific. The before mentioned virus (marek's) is a herpes virus, but there is no documented jump to people. Cats have their own herpes virus too, which also does not jump to people. The H5N1 strain of avian influenza is a major zoonotic concern, but it is not in the US (yet). People can get a mild infection from Newcastles. Chlamydophylia psittaci/chlamydophilosis (aka psittacosis aka parrot fever) may be why they are saying STD, as the genus also contains the chlamydia that causes the human STD- BUT it is not the same organism. People can get psittacosis, but it is not common- and it is not an STD, is is respiratory. Salmonella, clostridia, erysipelas, TB are public health risks. Some are reportable diseases. Breathing in dust and dander from pets can be a problem for sensitive individuals, or those with underlying respiratory problems. People who have chronic respiratory problems & people who are immunosupressed for any reason, or caring for those who are- should talk to their human doctor about specific risks to them when taking care of chickens/dogs/horses/turtles ect. For the average joe, chicken keeping can be very safe- but just practice general good husbandry & sanitation. Hand washing, dust mask if cleaning coops ect. Most diseases from pets/animals are fecal-oral (accidental ingestion of poop- fingers in mouth with unknown small amt of poop on them, or eating unwashed veggies, raw egg, cutting board contamination), respiratory exposure, or into an open wound on the hand. Therefore washing up, dust masks, and covering up of wounds before playing in the chicken coop will dramatically decrease the possibility of zoonosis.
Chicks in the house is not much different than chicks outside, except there is a need for more washing and dust control.....
I keep my chicks in the house too....

 

[ole-crone]

As others have said, you can get sick from any bird in the house but it's the rarity rather than the norm. Common sense takes care of most of the problem.

Now about the STDs. I don't WANT to know how someone could get a STD from a chicken. The normal human/chicken relationship wouldn't cause one but I imagine that there would be ways. Which would make me wonder about those friends. They might have heard from friends about developing pneumonia from birds when a person has AIDS or other immune deficient disease.