I am a parrot killer. Likely CFS Blood exposure killed Macaw.

[JalapenoLuv]

I just wanted to warn everyone about a possible problem with pet birds. My clinical outlook is CFS due to bartonella spp. and epstein barr virus. I love parrots and a fancy pet store had a large adult Maccaw macaw living on a perch display. He was friendly but a bit cranky. I played with him several times in the past with no problems.

However the last time he bit me and drew blood. The following week I visited the shop to find out that the Macaw had died of a mysterious infection that the couldn't identify. Onset was a few days after he bit me. I'm convinced he died because the of the blood exposure. Perhaps CFS is more deadly to birds than humans.

Be careful with any pet birds.

 

[CantThink]

I have 6 dwarf parrots and one of them bites me a lot and draws blood sometimes. She's survived my blood. I have EBV but not sure about Bartonella (is that cat scratch disease? I was scratched a lot as a child).

I don't think you killed the macaw! Did they do a post mortem on the bird? Sometimes birds die without warning or obvious cause as they are good at hiding they're sick.

 

[JalapenoLuv]

There are several types of bartonella, cat scratch is the most well known type. According to Galaxy Labs I have a lesser known bart. spp. type which improved with bart drugs but is chronic so I'm still treating it along with the CFS.

According to sales staff the birds vet said it died of a mysterious bacterial infection that couldn't be identified. Birds are known to carry spp. ticks.

I can't find any info on whether birds carry EBV but they are susceptible to similar herpesviruses.

I'm glad your drawfs are ok.

 

[Esther12]

Sorry if this sounds cruel, but that is just a funny thread title.

Has to be repeated:

I am a parrot killer. Likely CFS Blood exposure killed Macaw.

Just from what you've said, I wouldn't feel responsible for having killed the parrot.

 

[Gingergrrl]

I don't think you killed the parrot either and birds can die from a variety of illnesses. If it bit you and drew blood, it has most likely also bit many other people, too!

 

[PennyIA]

And an already ill bird is more likely to act out... he could have been sick for a while before biting you.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Not to cause undue worry, but I would also be concerned if the bird was ill before it bit you that YOU are okay, too.

 

[IreneF]

I would think a pet shop would be a dangerous place for a bird, because there are other birds coming and going all the time. It's like child care--the place where kids get sick and bring it home to you.

 

[Scarecrow]

Sorry if this sounds cruel, but that is just a funny thread title.

The first thing that came to my mind was Monty Python.

Agree with PennyIA that sick animals are more likely to bite and scratch.

 

[lansbergen]

Agree with PennyIA that sick animals are more likely to bite and scratch.

Me too

 

[JalapenoLuv]

Sorry if this sounds cruel, but that is just a funny thread title.

Has to be repeated:

I am a parrot killer. Likely CFS Blood exposure killed Macaw.

Just from what you've said, I wouldn't feel responsible for having killed the parrot.

Thanks Esther, that was intended.

And an already ill bird is more likely to act out... he could have been sick for a while before biting you.

Definitely possible.

I would think a pet shop would be a dangerous place for a bird, because there are other birds coming and going all the time. It's like child care--the place where kids get sick and bring it home to you.

Well the bird had been there years before I came along, then, just a few days after nipping me and drawing blood he was dead.

 

[jimells]

I don't think you killed the parrot either and birds can die from a variety of illnesses. If it bit you and drew blood, it has most likely also bit many other people, too!

Absolutely. Parrots don't have many ways to defend themselves, and pet stores are poor environments for these wild creatures. For many birds, biting becomes a habit, especially if their wings are clipped and they can't get away by flying.

I would never put my hand, and especially my face, near a large parrot that didn't know me. Their powerful beaks can do a lot of really bad damage.

The whole issue of keeping parrots in captivity is very difficult for me. For the large breeds like Macaws and Cockatoos, keeping them in a house is like keeping a dolphin in a backyard pool. They are as intelligent as a small child and need a similar amount of attention. When they are sexually mature they can bond emotionally with their person, but of course not physically, so that can cause behavioral problems like feather picking and biting their own skin.

At the same time, I was very attached to the parrot on my shoulder (an African Grey). That little bird used to spend hours perched on my prone form while I lay on the couch suffering through yet another migraine attack. I'm convinced she knew I was sicker than usual.

They absolutely should not be captured in the wild. That is now illegal pretty much everywhere, fortunately. As for breeding in captivity, I just don't know. I now live with two Cockatiels, and I'm grateful to have them. They are small parrots, their beaks aren't big enough to hurt anything important, they are easy to care for, and they are good company for me.

 

[JAM]

We have a rescued African Grey and he hasn't contracted anything from me. Granted he has only drawn blood from me once (he was falling and trying to catch himself). I doubt the bird died because of something he got from you, three days is really quick for one thing.

 

[snowathlete]

My mother in law bought a large parrot type bird. Not sure on breed but it was a type that lived a long time, 60 years plus? My wife came home and told me we would inherit it one day. I said no way. It was a horrible thing that used to squawk loudly and said "Naaaaannnn" in a really creepy voice having picked the word up off my nephews. Fortunately, my mother in law eventually got tired of it and gave it to someone with a much bigger environment for it to live in.

As for whether the OP's bird died due to exposure, I'd think it would be unlikely but not impossible.

 

[Desdinova]

I wouldn't beat yourself up. Frankly their's no way to know what specifically killed the bird. Remember not all diseases or all variants of a strain affect all species.

You probably stood a greater chance of catching something from the bird or other animals in the pet shop then to infecting the bird.