link between birds and lung cancer?
Mike Richman
between having pet birds and developing lung cancer. Does anyone have
more information on the study? Is this some wacky chance correlation or
something more substantive?
--
Mike Richman !CIMMS/The University of Oklahoma
ric...@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu !100 East Boyd, Room 1110
405-325-3460 (office) 325-7614 (fax)!Norman, OK 73019-0628 USA
George Hawkins
Mike here is an article from rec.pets.birds
I have NO intention to get rid of my
Parrots! ...
George
##########################################################
m...@hare.udev.cdc.com (mj zeis x2582)
[1] diseases from keeping birds as pets
Keywords: disease
Date: Mon Oct 26 11:22:34 CST 1992
Organization: Control Data Corporation, Arden Hills, MN
Lines: 17
I have been hearing rumours of lung diseases in humans being caused
by mites that live on the birds that people keep as pets. Apparently
the incidence of lung cancer in humans with birds as pets is higher
than in the general population. Is this just a bunch of nonsense or
is their something to it. I have a Red Lored Amazon and I am continually
getting snide remarks from my friends about being around the bird and
ending up with lung cancer. One friend even metioned seeing an episode
of ABC's 20/20 where they did a story on this. I think this is some
kind of hoax but I would like to know if anyone has the real facts.
--
Regards,
Mike Zeis (ARH215) m...@hare.udev.cdc.com
Control Data Systems (612)482-2582
4201 N. Lexington Ave. FAX:(612)482-2791
Arden Hills, Mn. 55126
ec.pets.birds #2123 (30 more) (1)--[1]
From: ber...@panix.com (Mark Bergman)
[1] pet birds and lung cancer risk (complete text)
Date: Fri Oct 23 23:26:11 CDT 1992
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC
Lines: 72
Verbatim from the AP. All typos are mine. Any comments?
=================================================================
AM-NC--Birds-Cancer 10-22 0607
AM-NC--Birds-Cancer,570
Study Shows Link Between Pet Birds And Lung Cancer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Keeping pet birds at home significantly
increases the risk of lung cancer, a new study suggests.
But researchers aren't sure why.
The study, conducted with lung cancer patients and control
subjects in Berlin, Germany, showed at least a doubling of lung
cancer risk among people who kept birds from one to five years. The
chance of contracting the illness tripled among people keeping the
animas longer than 10 years.
"One usually thinks that we can explain all excess lung cancers
by occupational exposure to radiation, chemicals and smoking, but
that isn't true," said Dr. Lenore Kohlmeier, professor of
nutrition and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill School of Public Health.
"There are differences in lung cancer rates within countries
that are still unexplained. Our findings, which remian no matter
how we model the data, help explain some of this difference."
A report on the study appeared in Thursday's issue of the
British Medical Journal.
Possible explanations for the link between birds and cancer are
that either fungi growing on the bird's excrement or minute
airborne particles such as feather fragments make the lungs more
susceptible to cancer, Ms. Kohlmeier said.
In their research, she and her colleagues statistically
controlled for the effects of smoking, exposure to checmicals at
work, passive smoking during childhood and other variables.
The study involved detailed interviews with 239 newly diagnosed
lung cancer patients in three West Berlin hospitals who agreed to
participate in the investigation. Control subjects were selected
and matched for sex, approximate age and the neighborhood in Berlin.
Statistical analysis of interview data showed that the only
significant difference between patients and control sunjects -- once
smoking and other known risk factors had been eliminated -- was
whether they had kept birds in their homes, Ms. Kohlmeier said.
No evidence was found that other pets such as dogs, cats
rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs contributed to lung cancer risk.
Because of her group's findings, Ms. Kohlmeire said she wouldn't
keep parrots, parakeets, canaries and other pet birds in her home.
She cautioned that people who have a family history of lung cancer
should minimize exposure to birds.
"I would say that people who are going to keep birds at home
anyway should keep cages very clean and practice good hygiene,"
Ms. Kohlmeier said. "We would like to see other scientists do
similar case control studies in other populations to confirm our
results. We would also like them to go a step further and figure
out what exactly is causing this increased risk from birds."
The team also anaylzed vegetable consumption among participants
to determine if carrots, peppers, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi or
spinich might have exerted some protective effects against lung
cancer. Earlier studies have suggested vitamin C or beta carotene
might help prevent cancer.
"The only protective effect we were able to isolate came from
regular consumption of carrots," Ms. Kohlmeier said. "There was a
clear dose response effect, such that 80 percent fewer cancers were
seen in individuals consuming carrots daily."
Co-authors of the report are Sabine Bartolomeycik, Barbara
Bellech and Michael Thamm of the Institute for Social Medicine in
Berlin; Gerardt Arminger of the University of Wuppertal, Germany;
and Juergen Rehm of the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of
Alcoholism in Lausanne, Switzerland.
APTV-10-22-92 1736EDT
=================================================================
----
Mark Bergman
718-855-9148
ber...@panix.com
{cmcl2,uunet}!panix!bergman
regards,
George Hawkins
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
regards,
George Hawkins
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
George Hawkins Internet: ha...@hawk.sps.mot.com
Motorola Digital Signal Processors UUCP: cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!hawk!hawk
6501 William Cannon Drive West Phone (512) 891-4543
Austin Texas 78735-8598 FAX (512) 891-2947
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
twol...@aud.alcatel.com
>I recently heard the last part of a news story reporting some link
>between having pet birds and developing lung cancer. Does anyone have
>more information on the study? Is this some wacky chance correlation or
>something more substantive?
Well I have been monitoring this subject for a few days, and there doesn't
seem to be anyone that is giving any great amount of detail on the subject.
I am about to be the proud owner of a greenwing Macaw, and I am curious
about this topic also.
Should I keep the bird cage immaculate, deordorized, feed them anything
special. What's the current information on this lung cancer issue. Is
it one of those things were a person had 45 birds for 30 years, and theu
developed lung cancer.
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE !!!!
Ted Wollnik
twol...@rdxsun11.aud.alcatel.com
Robert Wiegand
>ric...@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu (Mike Richman) writes:
First - there have been studies with results both ways (bird keeping
does / does not cause cancer) so don't take this as a proven fact.
Second - keeping a clean bird cage is a good idea anyway for the bird's
benifit. The bird droppings and dropped food is a good place for mold and
fungus to grow so regular cleaning is a good idea.
Personally, I'm not too worried.
K.Moritz
specifically state that the 239 people interviewed were non-smokers or
not exposed to passive smoke. It was worded in such a way that it lead me
to believe that they took into account that "all factors were equal" and that
even if they were smokers or exposed to smoke, their risk of lung cancer was
greater if they owned birds.
I feel that they need to have a specific study with only people who do not
smoke or are exposed to smoke and own birds, before they just to the conclusion
that it is the birds that actually cause the cancer.
There was another statement that really "puckered my behind", to say the least,
:-) The doctor that they interviewed for the article states:
"Would I personally have pet birds? I do not believe in increasing any
unncessary risk, but I wouldn't tell everyone to open up their window and
set the birds out to nature."
This statement really makes me mad, because we all know that there some idiots
out there who, reading this will think that letting their birds go is actually
an option. Proof of that is in the recent Bird Talk about the feral bird
flocks out in California. You know that only reason that there is a flock of
parrots, is because either they escaped, or someone let them go! I think
that it is inhumane and cruel to let these tropical birds go (there are very
few places in this country that most pet birds can survive in the climate,
FL, CA, maybe south TX, or other areas of the Southwest, but not the mojority),
and to even remotely suggest that in an article in a major newspaper is
negligent on thepart of the doctor, in this case. There are so many
people, reguardless of the possible risk will continue to own birds, and
would be more that happy to provide homes for unwanted pets. Personally,
I want a bird so bad I can hardly stand it, and there is probably someone
out there right now, for whatever reason, getting rid of their unwanted pet!
I think that the organizations and private establishments which provide homes
or find homes for unwanted pet birds are fantastic, and should be commended.
Kristin
p.s. thanks for letting me spout off!
Doug Humphrey
Just some speculation here, but Black Lung, caused mainly
by coal dust inhalation, does not kill through any particular
"chemical" reaction with coal dust. Any dust with the same
sort of physical configuration as coal dust (sharp points and
edges when viewed under a microscope) would be likely to cause
the same sort of problems.
Birdo dust (what, a cockatoo produce dust? what? let me clear
more of the screen off and see if I am reading this right...)
might very well be that kind of irritation agent.
In any case, this argues for dust control, a good idea in any
case. Smoke-eaters or Sun color monitors all work very well
for such dust collection ;-(
Just speculation here.
--
Doug Humphrey Express Access Public Access Internet Voice (301) 220-2020
do...@digex.com Dialup: (301) 220-0462 Login as "new" Email in...@digex.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I say it again, in the land of the free; use your freedom of choice." -DEVO