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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

642.0. "Bird Keepers Lung (Yuk!)" by SALSA::DEFRANCO () Thu Jan 02 1992 13:53

    I have a question on "bird keepers lung".  I've never really heard of
    it until a few months ago and now I've seen two articles in bird talk
    about it and a news show article in which the tobaco industry claimed
    that living with a bird was equal to smoking a pack of cigarets a day.
    Now, I have a hard time believing anything the tobaco industry has to
    say but then again, it's a frightening thought.
    
    Is bird keepers lung an allergy that you either have or don't have or
    is it a disease that you can get at any time during your bird keeping
    years?  Is bird keeping dangerous to our health in the long run?  Does
    bird dander actually cause lung cancer???????
    
    I don't seem to have any problems with my birds in terms of allergies. 
    If this is a "disease" that we can catch, what can we do as bird
    keepers to avoid cathing it?  
    
    Any info on this subject would be welcomed.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Jeanne
    
    
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642.1Information from a friend...MR4DEC::CWHITEThu Jan 02 1992 14:1615
    
    I heard from a friend that watched the TV special that the doctor
    who performs the autopsies on lung cancer patients proclaimed that
    keeping birds increases the risk by six times.......(I have over
    fifty!!) that of smoking cigarettes......pretty heavy duty statement.
    
    I did not actually watch the show and am only conveying the message.
    The doctor states that the dust/dander created by parrots is actually
    smaller than smoke particles and can get deeper into the lungs. It's
    pretty hard to believe, but I do have dust problems with the Cockatoo
    being the largest producer of this in my home.....Might not be a bad
    idea to write into Birdtalk and maybe ask the question or see if a
    study has been done, and if so to publish the results.
    
    chet
642.2please let us knowGIAMEM::TOLLESWed Jan 08 1992 16:127
    I would be *extremely* happy to learn more on this as I seem to have an
    allergy that is acting up terribly, but I can't figure out what it is.
    I have been taking my allergy medication very faithfully, but it is 
    still bad.  I wonder if it is the Zebra Finches that I recently were
    given.   hmmmmmmm
    
    deb
642.3News flash!ASDS::WHITEParrot_TrooperMon Mar 08 1993 18:4324
    
    Could not find the note relating to the lung cancer risk, so I thought
    I'd out it here and let the moderator moderate!
    
    Read the article in Bird Talk this month recinding the article on
    keeping parrots and the increased risk of LUNG CANCER.
    
    It's great that doctors paid for by tobacco institutes to
    proliferate the garbage of unfounded reports that were also
    refuted in the same magazine (but not told of) to deviate from
    having to answer to cancer in cigarette smoking victims.  
    
    Only in America!  Glad to hear that we should not worry as much
    as we did about this lie.  Seems that pigeons raised the potential
    a little, but there was no evidence to even remotely suggest that
    you would increase your risk of lung cancer by keeping parrots.
    
    
    Have you heard about the new ROSS Parrot????   never mind...........
    
    
    keep aviating!
    
    chet
642.4CARTUN::MISTOVICHdepraved soulThu Mar 11 1993 13:146
    I had a little trouble understanding your 3rd paragraph, but I take it
    that 1. doctors paid for by Tobacco companies were making the claim,
    and 2. this article refutes the claim.
    
    Thanks!
    Mary
642.5sorry for the confusion, heres some diversion!ASDS::WHITEParrot_TrooperThu Mar 11 1993 15:3020
    
    Righto!  A doctor seen on a Tobacco vs lung cancer documentary on TV
    indicated that Keeping birds increased the risk of Lung disease at
    least six or seven times that of smoking!!!  I thoughit was a lot of
    bull, and the old 'diversionary' tactic that seems to be going on
    everywhere right now......(example: What ever happened to G Bush/all
    the crooks that were pardoned, now that sll the hoopla about the
    defecit is going on.....they will just 'fade away' into oblivion!, but
    thats a rathole!)
    
    Anyhow, the article in Bird talk indicates that in the same magazine
    that the doctor in Europe who did the study confirming this, (coulda
    been in cahoots with the Tobacco co....I'm a cynic) the same article
    had TWO other doctors refute the original articles work for many
    reasons.  Good news is that there seems to be no 'direct' coorelation
    between keeping birds and lunc cancer with any viable proof.
    
    long winded, you bet!  got GREAT lungs!
    
    chet