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ISSN 1492-8132
Issue 131, © 2005
No reprints without permission
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Bird Site Review
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This is a massive website on pet care. The area on birds has all sorts of information available for the interested pet bird owner to browse through. As always, not all the advice offered will necessarily apply to each individual bird owner or their pets, but enough information is presented to help even a new pet bird owner feel more confident and informed in the choices that they make, and the care that they offer their treasured pets. Packed with thoughts, advice, and ideas, with references and links to many more resources, this is a site to visit often!
Help Needed
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Do you know of a great bird site which deserves a review? Maybe you have a favourite tip or trick that you like to use, or know of a product that has made your bird's life better or easier to manage in some way? Why not share them with other Flock readers? Just send an email here.
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Website News
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We've completely sold out of our 15-month edition of the 2006 Canary Keeper's Calendars, but in case you missed out, don't worry, there's plenty of 12 month calendars available!
We're getting a great response from our customers; one says, "Thank you so much for the canary calendar, what a wonderful work of art! My mom really likes it and wants to know where to find one, she says she will buy it in an instant! Also, I'd like to order another for a friend at work..."
Check here to learn more; robirda.com/calendar.html
Feature Article
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'Avian flu' are two words that are showing up more and more in the news these days, and as fear grows and rumors spread, it is becoming difficult to separate fact from fiction. Little to no factual information has so far been presented to pet bird owners by authorities regarding how the avian flu might impact them or their birds, but discussions flourish and rumors grow, seeming sometimes to spread at close to light-speed! Meanwhile, more and more pet bird owners are beginning to wonder what the real facts are, on...
Pet Birds and the Avian Flu
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © Oct 2005
It seems we're hearing more and more about 'bird flu' or avian influenza in the news these days, but for all the talk, hard data seems to be at a minimum. What IS known is that, while there are dozens if not hundreds of known strains of avian influenza, it is only one that's causing all the trouble. This strain is termed 'avian influenza A (H5N1)'.
This particular strain of avian infuenza is the only one that has been known to infect some (so far, very few) humans - but the spread of this avian influenza virus from one ill person to another has rarely been reported, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person, while human flu viruses kill thousands (elders and children especially) every year.
There are only three 'A' subtypes of known human flu viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2). Influenza A viruses are found in a great many species of mammals as well as birds and humans, and are constantly changing. Any strain from any source might adapt over time, with enough exposure, to infect and spread among humans.
Dr Leonard G. Horowitz, D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H., specialist on emerging diseases, says, "At this writing, the avian flu is said to have killed 'about 65 people' in Southeast Asia during the past two years! Little to no data is available on these individuals who most commonly had immune-compromising medical conditions. Further, all deaths were in Asian countries with questionable health services. Conversely, other forms of flu kill more than 40,000 North Americans annually, generally the immune-compromised elderly."
The US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, "The risk from bird flu is generally low to most people because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds."
They continue on to say, "The current outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1) among poultry in Asia and Europe is an example of a bird flu outbreak that has caused human infections and deaths. In such situations, people should avoid contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces, and should be careful when handling and cooking poultry. In rare instances, limited human-to-human spread of H5N1 virus has occurred, but transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person."
They go on to state that since all flu viruses are known to mutate relatively rapidly compared to other disease organisms, there is a possibility that this virus may one day develop the ability to spread from human to human, but so far most known cases have occurred from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.
According to the CDC website quoted above, the current risk to North Americans from the bird flu outbreaks in Asia is very low, but they do state that travelers returning from affected countries in Asia could be infected if they were exposed to the virus. They recommend that anybody travelling to a country with a known outbreak of the H5N1 virus avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals. They do not, however, recommend any travel restrictions be placed on current travel to affected countries.
Although it's not said in so many words, these facts indicate that it is likely that good hygiene, cleanliness, and proper care and attention to handling food products, especially raw meats, along with thorough cooking practices, can minimize or even eliminate the risks of direct exposure. It is difficult to imagine that anybody anywhere would work with poultry - especially raw meat products - without careful washing of hands and working surfaces before and afterwards, yet it seems that this is the most common means for the infection to spread.
There has been a fair bit of conjecture that migrating wildfowl could spread the virus over a wider territory, but when examined more closely, this idea seems unlikely. For one thing, while many wild birds are known to carry one or more avian flu viruses in their system - generally these viruses are dormant.
In order to be transmitted, the virus must be active within the bird's system, which will cause the bird to become sick, and in turn will cause the virus to be shed through saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.
If you consider the normally occurring stresses and strains on migrating fowl, it seems highly unlikely that such a sick bird would be able to migrate in the first place! Sick birds are rarely if ever seen in migrating flocks - they just don't have the energy to keep up, and instead stay behind until they are well enough to travel.
In Britain, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is trying to institute a ban on bird fairs, saying that the trade in birds, especially wild-caught birds, could pose a greater risk of exposure than natural migration patterns.
Meanwhile, Dutch researchers have injected a virus sample taken from a fatal human case into short-haired domestic kittens, and discovered that cats can apparently be infected with, carry, and transmit the H5N1 virus. Their results stated that six kittens became infected, but did not mention the total number of test subjects used in their sample.
One of the biggest threats to bird owners and their flocks is fear. In May of 2004, an outbreak of an H6 avian influenza virus in British Columbia's Fraser Valley led to what officials termed 'depopulation' of 40 commercial chicken farms. But the toll did not stop there; several local bird hobbyists keeping a variety of birds ranging from pigeons to parrots were forced to allow authorities to 'depopulate' their birdrooms and aviaries.
No testing was done, the officials simply took all the birds they could find within a certain range from the commercial farms, whether there was any real risk of exposure or not.
In one case, the birds were very expensive imported Birmingham Roller pigeons. While his birds were being carted off for suffocation, some wild pigeons and ducks landed on or near the owner's barn. He questioned the officials about what they were going to do about all the wild birds that had a much greater chance of having been exposed, only to be told that control of these wild birds was not in their mandate!
Key West Chicken activist Katha Sheehan of The Chicken Store, which among other activities operates a chicken rescue, says, "I hardly know where to begin, defending the Key West chickens against all these allegations of being responsible for a bird flu that isn't even in the USA yet! I always wash my hands when I come home off the streets, after using the bathroom, and before eating. Do you? Do your kids?"
She goes on to say, "If you can't 'do' the flu, don't eat the meat! Factory-farmed chicken eggs and meat products from stores are more likely to bring in foreign bugs, than the Conch rooster standing in the driveway. Germs are everywhere! There are staph germs on that hand railing, tetanus in that potting soil and hantavirus in that deer tick- possibly."
It seems to me that there is an obvious four-step solution for pet birds owners, regarding the avian flu; first, attempt to minimize as much as possible any exposure of your pets (feline as well as avian) to wild birds; secondly, avoid direct contact with the feces from potentially exposed birds; thirdly, always be careful to wash and disinfect hands and surfaces thoroughly when preparing food, especially when handling raw meat; and fourth, be certain that meat and eggs from potentially susceptible birds are thoroughly cooked before being eaten.
As Katha Sheehan points out, "What is important is good living to keep a healthy immune system. Most of these germs will never find a foothold with us, and panic can only get in the way of rational decision-making. When you find a pigeon (or waterbird) dead on the ground, just remember that they, too, sometimes die of old age! As a civilization we should be far beyond that hysterical and barbaric 'holocaust as a solution'."
I can't agree more.
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © Oct 2005
Check out some of our more popular bird-lover's products!
For a full list of all our products and services, visit the webpage at www.robirda.com/products.html
"Everyone always asks me why my birds are such beautiful singers and breed such magnificent babies...I tell them that I learned from Robirda! While they give their birds all kinds of 'magical' formulas, I just follow your guide to 'keep it simple.' My birds are now very healthy, and there has been no recurrence of the infection. Thank Goodness!" R.C., Florida
Bird Flu Fact
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The US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says,
"Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
"Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person."
Stories Wanted
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Send us your stories of how your birds confuse and puzzle, interest and amuse you, and we will share them with the rest of our readers in a future issue. Just send an email here
For you
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"Hi Robirda! Thanks for your thoughts. My little one is singing as loudly as ever. He looks much better today. Your advice was most welcome; I'm particularly grateful about the recipes! I sent you the same amount the vet charged me; you have done no less than he did. You are a real blessing to all of us canary lovers the world over."
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