Human transmitted diseases

Question
We are very close to our birds (conures and caiques)..cuddling, kissing and playing with them. If we have a cold, or flu, or for instance my daughter has strep throat at the moment.... can we get the birds sick?
Are they susceptible to the same bacteria and viruses that make us sick?

Answer
Hi, Victoria.  Thanks for posting!

The answer to your questions is yes.  Birds can get sick with germs from us and we can get sick from our birds.  Transmission of diseases from animals to humans is called zoonosis.  I don't know if the name is the same for diseases transmitted from humans to animals (I've not been able to find any different word for the latter).  

A lot of people don't know that birds are treated with the same medicines as humans are treated with, only in a smaller dosage.  I'll never forget my first vet visit with a sick bird.  My avian vet sent me to the nearest drug store with 2 prescriptions that I was to bring back to him so he could mix the meds for me to give to my sick bird.  I thought my vet was crazy...guess I thought there was a birdie pharmacy somewhere out there!  The prescriptions had my bird's name on them and were filled by the pharmacist.  

Difference with birds is that is doesn't take much to make them sick and they also go downhill faster than we do.  This is why it's so important to keep your birds healthy and get them to the bird vet as soon as you suspect there might be something wrong.   

Chrys