Bird fancier's lung

As bird breeders lung ( syn.: birdkeeper lung or pigeon fancier's disease) alveolitis extrinsic allergic cause is known. It may occur in acute or insidious in - chronic form.

Symptoms

Occur 4-12 hours after allergen challenge to the typical symptoms of pneumonia, such as fever, difficulty breathing, cough with or without expectoration, and rapid pulse. The symptoms resolve in a few days again. The creeping - chronic course is distinguished by a general flu-like malaise, such as body aches, weight loss and decreasing load.

Cause

When the allergens that trigger this disease, it is animal proteins that occur in dust and feces of birds. Feathers in down fabrics also come into question. These allergens cause an inflammatory reaction of the lung tissue caused by an immune complex reaction of type III.

Follow

The symptoms usually disappear within a few days again. For prolonged contact with the allergen the lung tissue can be severely damaged or destroyed. Pulmonary function may be permanently restricted. In individual cases, the heart is stressed.

Therapy

The allergen should be avoided completely. In severe cases, treatment with glucocorticoids is initiated. The bird owner lung is a notifiable occupational disease.