Introduction
Having a parakeet as a pet may be a great idea. They are less messy than dogs, they are tiny, and they are nice to look at especially when there are plenty of them. They are less noisy than parrots, and a lot smaller. There are plenty of pros that you can find if you’re going to own a parakeet. However, the downside is that people can get diseases from their pet birds. And there are some parakeet diseases which can affect humans.
History
Like other animals, parakeet does get sick too. It may be difficult to notice, but you can detect it even at earlier stage. It would be better that before considering of owning a parakeet, you must research all about the bird and also about the parakeet diseases that can affect your bird and that can transfer to you.
There is the Polyoma Virus which is also known as the Parakeet Fledgling Disease. This is usually found in baby parakeets, and rarely in mature ones. There are actually vaccines invented to prevent this however there are cases that even when the bird already had the vaccine, the disease still appear. This virus shuts down the internal organs of the parakeet which causes the bird to die due to starvation or dehydration. Luckily, this virus does not affect human so you don’t have to worry about this.
Features
Parrot Fever, also known as Psittacosis or Chlamydiosis, can affect humans. This is a highly contagious disease and can be contracted by the respiratory system wherein you inhale dirt or any particles that contain the disease. If your bird has this disease, isolate it immediately, and clean the cage. Do not forget to wear a mask when cleaning since this is one of the parakeet diseases that can affect humans and have symptoms like flu.
Allergic Alveolitus, on the other hand, is not really considered as a parakeet disease since it doesn’t harm the birds. However, it does affect the owners of the birds. This disease, also known as Pigeon Lung Disease or Parakeet Dander Pneumoconiosis, is transferred to humans when the bird owners inhaled particles of the feathers. This disease affects the person’s lungs making them hard to breathe air into and out of the lungs. Though this does not happen suddenly, it develops only when the owner have inhaled the particles for long.
These parakeet diseases mentioned earlier are only some of the common diseases of parakeets. There are still other parakeet diseases that can affect the humans but it rarely does happen to parakeets. Some of these said parakeet diseases are the new castles disease which affects parrots and other pet birds, Salmonella, Sarcocystis, Avian Influenza (H5N1), Avian Tuberculosis, and a lot more.
Tips and comments
Now that knowing these parakeet diseases that can be transferred to humans, this makes you wonder if taking care of birds would be a good idea. Yes, we cannot deny that it can harm you. But the key to taking care of birds—parakeets or others—is that there must be proper hygiene and a good environment for the bird. You must plan it well to prevent getting infected with parakeet diseases. Parakeet diseases cannot harm you as long as you prevent them from getting to your pet parakeets.
