Health Risks of Having Birds Around Kids

Although several diseases can be transmitted from birds to humans, few are carried by common pet birds like cockatiels, budgies, parrots and finches. In fact, children are much more likely to give a pet bird a disease than to get one from handling a bird. Still, safety is an important consideration with any pet, and a few bird-related health risks do exist.

  1. Injuries

    • The greatest risk of being in contact with a pet bird is injury, especially if you own a parrot of any size. Even the smallest parrot can bite and draw blood, and the largest can break (or even amputate) fingers. On the other hand, parrot bites are no more likely to become infected than any other wound--birds have almost no saliva.

    Feather Dust

    • Some species of pet birds--especially cockatoos--produce large amounts of feather dust. While the dust is more a nuisance than a health hazard for most, children with asthma may be adversely affected if they inhale it. Luckily, most pet birds do not produce feather dust.

    Chlamydiosis

    • Chlamydiosis, psittacosis or "parrot fever" is a bacterial infection that may be carried by many different species of birds. It's far more dangerous to birds than humans, but small children and the immunocompromised may be at risk. This is a very rare disease.

    Salmonellosis

    • Salmonellosis (the disease caused by the Salmonella bacterium) is rare in pet birds, but it is sometimes carried by pigeons and chickens. It is primarily transmitted through droppings and may cause diarrhea and intestinal symptoms in humans.

    Safety Tips

    • All of these risks can be eliminated through safe care and handling of pet birds. Test new birds for disease before they come in contact with children or other birds, wash your hands after you come in contact with bird droppings and teach your children how to safely handle pet birds to prevent bites.