IMPORTANT QUESTION- strep throat

[TeenageBirdMom]

Just this morning I woke up feeling a bad ache in my throat accompanied by what looks like an infection and I am afraid it may be strep.. What I'm even more worried about is can I pass it on to my birds and can it make them sick?? I really would like to know, they've been wanting attention all day and I'm too afraid to handle them Answers are greatly appreciated!

 

[Phlox]

Though there are diseases that affect humans and birds, I doubt your bird could get strep or a cold...

 

[Kiwibird]

I would stay away, or minimize contact/practice extreme sanitary measures until you are no longer contagious. I'm not 100% sure they can become ill from it, but they can "catch" it and become a carrier (then re-infect you). I know this because my moms bird was eventually discovered to be the source of my severe and continuously reoccurring strep infections as a child. The bird has never been ill in her life, but after every other possible cause for my infections were eliminated, she was finally tested and came back positive as a carrier of strep and had been infecting me over and over again until she was treated. The vet and doctor had never heard of such a thing and did not know if she had been a carrier before I was born or caught it from me after my initial infection and kept reinfecting me. I think it's a very *rare* circumstance, but better safe than sorry. I know I stay far far away from my bird at the slightest scratch in my throat:52:

 

[RavensGryf]

No. You don't have to worry. Most illnesses such as yours are host species specific.
Zoonotic illnesses passed from human to bird are exceptionally rare. Even when you aren't sick, best to keep human saliva away from birds as our normal bacterial isn't compatible with them anyway.
To answer directly, no your birds won't get a sore throat from you That specific strain of Strep is only for humans. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[RavensGryf]

As April (Kiwibird) mentioned, I just saw... Must have been a rare strain. What I mentioned is "generally speaking" and would be rare.

 

[Kiwibird]

As April (Kiwibird) mentioned, I just saw... Must have been a rare strain. What I mentioned is "generally speaking" and would be rare.

I was sick for pretty much 2 straight years when I was 3-5 y/o (I think 13 back-to-back infections, as my parents had "moral issues" with me having a tonsillectomy). I do believe it was a rare strain that caused extremely high fevers and rashes, but I still get quite frightened/paranoid whenever I have a sore throat and definitely stay away from parrots:52:

I wouldn't imagine this happening very often, but even so, it's always best to have minimal contact with your birds while you are sick. Better safe than sorry for everyone