Bird Feces + Pregnancy - Safe or A Concern?

[gummibears]

A little background:

I have a pet mourning dove (he's a wild bird that has been rescued and raised since he was less than a week old. He's now 3 or 4 months old) and I'm concerned on the feces/pregnancy connection. He generally is uncaged as he is wild and has yet to get a proper cage (we were hoping to get it used - working on getting it despite not finding one used) and there's a collection of droppings where he likes to sit. I've left them alone as I'm not sure how to handle them when in early pregnancy and if there's a risk to the baby or not.

I can't really get him checked by a vet as having him is actually illegal here. But releasing him would mean I raised him and did round the clock feedings for nothing, as he'd fall prey to cats or neighbors toting BB guns. So, we kept him as we grew fond of him and he fond of us. (He generally just sits by me when he's uncaged as I'm mommy)

Is there any special way I should clean up the droppings? Is the risk in handling the bird/droppings only? Or is is also in breathing them in? Anyone had a bird through pregnancy and have any advice to pass on from doctor?

[greenmulberry]

Well, I have chickens and my doctors have never had the slightest concern about being around them. And chickens poop a lot. And caring for the chickens was historically "women's work" so I imagine we would know if you could catch diseases that were bad for your pregnancy from them by now. And I have never met anyone who to salmonella from chickens, I think that is more common in factory farmed eggs.

Anyway, if I were you, I would spray the area with a 10% bleach solution, assuming this is like a countertop or something that can handle bleach (not favric which will bleach), and then wipe it up. Afterwards, put newspapers down that you can pick up and toss out without touching the poop.

And wash you hands after.

[oiseau]

I'm not pregnant or a doctor, but I am an ornithologist who has experience with health/immune concerns and working with birds.

My advice would be to just be careful about washing your hands after handling him or his feces. I'd try to get someone else in the house to clean up the poo if I could (mostly because I'm lazy lol!), but otherwise, I'd take some minor precautions and do it myself (maybe gloves, definitely hand washing. cleaning with vinegar or diluted bleach or something disinfectant).

I wouldn't be too worried about breathing in germs from him because it doesn't sound like there's enough concentrated feces/dander in any one place. If you had a ton of birds or a cage that hadn't been cleaned in forever, then I might go for a dust mask, but I'd think you'd be fine just cleaning up small poo piles. Obviously, don't stick your face right in it and inhale (lol) and I bet you'll be fine.

[Dichotomy]

I have a hahns macaw (caged) and have no concerns about handling her or her waste. I just make sure to clean out the bottom of her cage (which is lined with newspaper) once a week, and I'll spray her cage bottom with a vinegar solution and then wipe clean. I also wash my hands after cleaning her cage, as well as handling her.

eta: We've had our bird since she was a baby though, and shes always been domesticated. Even so, shes been given a clean bill of health by a vet. Since your bird was once wild, have you ever had it checked for health and diseases by a vet?

[gummibears]

Thanks all. Those sites out there paint a much scarier picture of bird feces and handling them. Never know what's true and what isn't.

Dichotomy, no our dove hasn't been to a vet ever. Problem is that he's an illegal pet in this state. But we could not raise him (he was an orphan that nearly got run over by a car) and release him knowing he'd die outside with hundreds of strays in the neighborhood and a known neighbor that shoots cats and possibly bird with a BB gun.

It's kinda impossible to get him checked out as we don't know if the vet will tell the fish and game warden that we have an illegal mourning dove as a pet. That's my biggest worry. I mean he SEEMS healthy but you just never know that's the part that worries me most.

He does have a proper cage now - just got it - and ds has been looking after his paper changing and care for me.

[spargel]

I'm not sure how close mourning doves are to pigeons - they look very similar to me. The reason I mention it is that pigeons have a special risk to their feces due to a fungi that's present. I've worked on sites where special hazmat gear was required to clean areas where pigeons nested. I believe the risk is higher in the dried feces, but it probably wouldn't hurt to use a mask and gloves, do the cleaning outside and then wash up well afterwards - or better yet, have someone else do the cleaning outside for you.

[gummibears]

Maybe I can place a call to the vet without giving names and get more info. I wonder how close they are to each other and I've not been able to google any info about this with doves.

I'll take precautions just in case there's the same risk with him.