Illness from keeping chickens

[Kuntry Klucker]

Hi All

I am not sure where to put this thread so hopefully this will be okay.

I was wondering can you get sick from keeping chickens??

I have recently come down with flu like symptoms, running a fever of about
100, fatigue, and other common symptoms associated with the flu.

my questions is... can you get sick from chickens or is it possible that this
is just a flu from other sources. Store, work. etc.

It seems kind of funny to have flu like symptoms in june.

Any info would be great. thanks

 

[speckledhen]

Highly doubtful. I've never have been ill from chickens and most long time chicken keepers haven't, either. Most illness is species-specific, though sure, you can get salmonella if you don't wash your hands, etc. You most likely were infected by another human being.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
Correct.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

that is a relief.

I am going to the doctor right now. i will keep you all posted on
what he says.

I am new at chickens so I just had to ask if it was a possibility.

Thanks.

 

[Imp]

Check out Histoplasmosis. Highly unlikely you have it, but better to be sure than not.

Had a neighbor, years ago, in and out of ICU. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong. She casually mentioned that she bred cockatiels to one of the drs. He connected that she had it. She had to get rid of all her birds and move.

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/histoplasmosis/

Imp

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

My poultry has never made me sick. However having asthma does require keeping pens cleaner and sometimes wearing a mask to insure that the dust doesn't cause an attack. Clean regularly and practice hand washing after handling the birds and both you and the birds will be healthy.

 

[mom2many]

In microbiology I remember them saying that birds and pigs are the only 2 animals that can carry the flu... Birds can only get certain kinds though.

 

[Animalian]

My vet has told me my cockatiel could have caught a cold off me before. So now whenever I'm sick I get someone else to tend all the birds in the household.

A lot of infectious diseases (75%) can cross species with humans when it comes to domestic animals. It's just that we've lived so closely with them for so long that we can almost become immune to a lot of them so it just feels like a cold or less. Avian influenza & swine flu are only really bad because they have only just begun to cross species so our species haven't developed much of a resistance to it yet.

When my partner was really sick (kidneys shut down, brain swelling, lost 25 kilos in two weeks) with swine flu the doctors told us to keep him away from birds until he was completely recovered because they can somehow affect your immunity. Not sure how. His was an extreme case though.

I always wear a mask and gloves when cleaning out the chicks just in case. He's a bit of a bubble boy now so I'd hate to get him sick. Plus I have asthma so protecting myself from the coop dust is always good.