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MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: 44 minutes ago | Replies (13)
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Replies to "Hi friends - I’ve seen a couple of reference to bird-related issues as possible causes of..."
A pulmonologist in 2012 told me to get rid of my bird (after a nodule was discovered in my lungs) or I’d be sorry. I’ve always had birds up until 2019. When I asked other pulmonologists I couldn’t seem to get a definitive answer about birds. I was diagnosed with MAC around 2020
Hi Jill - Don't panic, but do think this through.
MAC is Mycobacteria Avium Complex, meaning the source of the bacteria is from birds - but not necessarily yours.
Bird droppings can be the source of a lot of pathogens, including M. avium, histoplasmosis and others. Many years ago, our state epidemiologist, Dr Mike Osterholm, was investigating an outbreak of histoplasmosis. I don't remember the details, but somehow he ended up at our home, testing our parakeets and interviewing us.
We were very surprised when he suggested that we consider rehoming our birds, not due to infection risk, but because of our allergies - we were young and kind of shrugged it off. We did take extra precautions as far as cleaning the cages outdoors, daily vacuuming up seeds & feathers - but the birds stayed.
Fast forward 8 years - our young daughters were suffering repeated respiratory & ear infections. The first recommendations by the ENT were - remove carpeting, remove all stuffed toys from the bedroom, and rehome our birds. The allergist & pediatrician concurred, saying the dander & mite particles from the birds were a respiratory irritant. Bye, bye birdies.
Our kids weren't cured, but we all had fewer respiratory and allergy issues.
All four of us developed asthma of varying severity over the years. And now I wonder if maybe that exposure might have something to do with developing bronchiectasis - though my MAC came many years later, after exposure to soil heavily contaminated by feral chickens and many songbirds. I still feed "my birds" - outdoors - and glove up to clean the feeders. If there is a lot of seed to clean out, I add a mask.
So, you might want to consult with your Pulmonologist and/or an Infectious Disease or Epidemiology expert.