Am I developing Bird fancier's Lung?


Iwould like some advice. November 1, 2010. We purchased a young blue crowned conure. 1 week later I developed laryngitis, which turned into a cough. I have had this productive cough ever since. I have never smoked and we only have one bird (I had a macaw for 18 yrs, it passed away 4 yrs ago). My chest xray, ctscan and pulmonary function tests are all normal. My parents took the conure for 2 months as a test to see if the bird is the cause (my pulmonary doctor thinks it is, but I tested negative to the skin prick test for budgies and chickens). During the 2 months there was improvement but not long lasting, the cough always came back. I have the bird back now, within 24 hrs of bringing the bird home, I have come down with a fever. The fever is not accompanied with shortness of breath and is only at night, for 2 nights in a row. I have always been very healthy. Could I be having an allergic response to my bird?
Thank you!!! LD
04/05/2010
Oasys, Health Professional, 5/4/2010, 5/7/2010,

1. Guess the date is 2009 rather than 2010
2. Conures belong to the order psittaciformes, is associated with allergic alveolities or hypersensitivity pneumonitis. There are other lung conditions which are associated with birds of this type.
3. Skin prick tests may be negative as they are for specific antigents.
4. From your history and given investigation results, it is difficult to conclusively diagnose a disorder or its association with an exposure to birds.
5. If you have continuing symptoms, it is best to be referred to an Occupational Lung Disease Unit.
5/7/2010

Please sign in or register to add your thoughts.


Oasys and occupational asthma smoke logo