Toys touched by deceased bird

[TayKiren]

So around a year ago I had a parakeet pass away from an unkown illness at the vet. Her stool sample came back clean, so it wasn't due to a bacterial illness or parasites. Obviously I took all the toys out of the cage and disinfected the cage. Since then, the toys have been in a bin in my closet since I don't know of any way to disinfect soft wood/paper/cloth toys. They're pretty much all new and mostly untouched, so I didn't want to throw them away, but I don't know that I should reuse them. If it was a viral illness, the virus would probably be dead now right? I'm not sure what else it could've been other than something internal (liver failure, tumor, etc) that would only have affected her, so would it be okay to give them to my current birds? Or should I just finally throw them away?

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[SailBoat]

Very sorry for your loss!

We use Dawn (Original) Dish Soap and hot water to wash toys, perches, etc... Use fresh drinking water to rise well. We than dry in bright sunlight, turning so that all sides are exposed to the sunlight until dry...

Again, sorry for your loss!

 

[noodles123]

I am not trying to be paranoid- but there are certain pernicious viral diseases that can last many many months on surfaces--carpets, air ducts, furniture etc. If they are porous/wood, I would get rid of them.

I'm not sure I agree with this statement entirely (because PBFD CAN be killed by the correct disinfectants--- it is just tricky) this site says it can survive for "years" on surfaces.
https://www.petmd.com/bird/conditions/skin/c_bd_Psittacine_beak_and_feather_disease

^seems like a legit website...my biggest issue is that they say it "cannot be killed" by disinfectants--- the bigger problem is that people don't use proper disinfectants (even things like bleach don't work in every setting, and higher concentrations don't always mean greater efficacy---and that it has to be a whole-facility deep-clean--including places the bird didn't directly touch (think COVID-19 disinfection, bird style lol).

Here's another source: http://www.environment.gov.au/syste...-1a9fdcb76642/files/hygiene-protocols-all.pdf -- it's long and wordy, but it gives you an idea of how easily transmissible some of these diseases really are. I err on the side of caution, but I know there are people out there who have re-used things. If a necroscopy had been performed to determine the cause of death, I would be more inclined to say, "go for it" but there is still a bit of a risk (given that you are not certain as to the cause of death). It's probably unlikely that yours had this virus--- but without certainty, I struggle to give "the green light".

Have you made all adjustments to chemical use within your home? No Teflon/PTFE/PFOA, no candles (even unscented), no scented oils or air fresheners, no aerosols, no glues/polishes, perfumes etc? These are huge

 

[SailBoat]

The above information is correct, plus well worth noting and being fully aware of the information.

That all said, the effects of bright sunlight (exposure to true UV light) kills a wide variety of viruses.

It is why the majority of viruses that exist in soil sit below the surface.

 

[TayKiren]

We've never had telfon since we have had birds, and I do my best to make sure there are no scents or things like that. Thanks for the links, I'll check them out. My four other parakeets have been doing well in the past year, so I doubt it was anything super contagious. I think next time I go for a checkup I'll ask my vet more about it.

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