Can E. Cuniculi kill my birds ?

[Crazypetlady]

I have 2 rabbits and just found out today she tested positive for E. Cuniculi. I'm freaking out because this is an incurable parasitic infection in rabbits for which the treatment to keep it at bay is VERY expensive.

I'm worried for my conures. And for my CAG which still has not come home (not weened yet).

I have gone from the vet with the rabbits, to see my CAG. Thankfully we used hand sanitizer, but still.. I can't fathom bringing him home if I think he's going to get infected.

Does anyone know if this infection can affect birds in the same way it affects rabbits ?

Yes, I am freaking out here!

[marie83]

I think you need to ring an avian vet and ask if there are any risks, how big a risk and how to lessen the risk tbh. In the meantime keep them 100% seperate, change your clothes and wash your hands before going near your birds after you've been near the rabbits etc.

[Crazypetlady]

The rabbit vet is also an avian vet (avian & exotic). I will talk to him at length about all this on Saturday when I take Jake to get tested. I'm glad my CAG is not home yet. Thank Gawd.

But I'm dying and have been reading EVERYTHING I can find on the subject. I have to know what to expect. If I can and to whom I can send this rabbit if she's a risk to my birds, dogs, etc. what I'm really looking for is an answer that will keep my zoo together. ;').

I can't find ANY Info on how this could affect my birds. I already know humans can get it but it's only a problem for people with a immune deficiency.

Dogs, not so much. But the birds worry me. I have already isolated the rabbits until I know more.

[Andromeda]

I have no experience with E. Cuniculi but I did want to share an experience I had with you because it's relevant.

My brown-headed parrot is a rescue and he was sick when we adopted him. It took 15+ visits (I lost count) to TWO different avian vets across a span of SIX months to properly diagnose it: streptococcus pneumoniae.

When the vet called me with the results on the phone she was floored, "I never would have suspected this. I have been practicing for 15 years and I've never seen strep pneumoniae in a bird. I've seen it in hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs, but never a bird."

She then told me that humans could also contract strep pneumoniae from my bird while he was sick (he's better now), but that it generally only happens in people with compromised immune systems.

I wish I could be of more help but I at least wanted to tell you what happened with my Jimmy just so you know that, at least in his case, he caught something that was apparently very rare for a bird, but something that the vet had seen in rabbits.

I don't know if the same applies to E. Cuniculi but until you know for sure I'd operate under the assumption that it does.

[Crazypetlady]

thanks for the story and the replies. I just want to follow this up with what my vet said in the even that it might help someone else in future.

I'm still dealing with my rabbit situation but the veterinarian (who is also avian vet) said that e. cuniculi is not a threat to any other mammal that doesn't have a suppressed immune system. Only rabbits are known to suffer from it as they do.

So my birds are in the clear. Such a weight off my shoulders there.