Abstract :
[en] The term « Pet bird » designates birds housed and breeded for an exclusively ornamental use. This category includes mainly Passeriformes (canaries, finches…) and Psittaciformes (parrots, parakeets…), and is a not-so-well known vet’s clientship fraction. Many families indeed own their « kitchen canary », which represent a lucrative business for pet shops or local breeders (e.a. via birds fairs and markets). Besides, some birds are bred for their very high value; for example, in the case of canaries, male and female reproductors with recognized genetic potential are presented in international contests for their posture (the Bossu Belge : fig 1a), their colour (red mosaic: fig 1b) and for their song (Harzer: fig 1c) and sold for rising prices. Finally, exotic birds like parrots (ara, cockatoo…), legally or illegaly traded from Asia, are however very popular pets and profusely represented in zoos and parks.
Notwithstanding these economic facts, these animals are potential carriers and/or transmitters of zoonotic diseases. Some of them could have an important impact on human health, like ornithosis, salmonellosis or even H5N1 high pathogenic avian influenza. This review, although non exhausive, has as aim to enlighten, by the description of several cases of birds-humans transmission the risks encountered by birds owners, including children, and on another point of view to assess the potential economic consequences.
