Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Avian flu is a much bigger worry for people than it is for birds. I am concerned though that someday I may step in an infected droppings (say fro a pigeon) and bring this home to my guy. Am I worrying too much?

I would say "at this time" you are probably worrying too much. That does not mean it is not a possibility in the future. Right now it is more a fear in fowl type birds although they have had one reported case in a parrot in Britain. Also stepping in infected feces would not mean that it would necessarily mutate enough to spread to a hookbill and even then I imagine it would have to come into direct contact such as your shoe touching it's food, or you stepping on the floor and leaving a residue then letting your bird crawl or play in that same area. "Most" viruses do not have a long life in open air without a host, I am not sure about bird flu and haven't seen a study to show correlation to this.

If in the future it does seem to be apparently spreading to hookbills on a regular basis that will mean it has mutated and could be spread, at that time more precautions would need to be taken with bird owners. But as I said, "at this time" it wouldn't seem to be a worry.