Parrots are beloved companions, but they are also birds, meaning they can be affected by the same rapidly changing avian influenza (avian flu) landscape impacting wild birds, poultry, and, increasingly, mammals. Even when overall public risk is described as low, the day-to-day reality for parrot owners is that household choices (outdoor exposure, visiting farms, keeping backyard chickens, feeding practices, cleaning routines) can raise or lower risk for both birds and people.
Recent public health updates underline two points that matter in a home with parrots: first, you can’t always tell whether a bird is infected, because “some birds will not show signs… so it is not always possible to know if birds are infected” (UKHSA, updated Nov 19, 2025). Second, when spillover to people occurs, it often happens through preventable pathways, virus getting into “a person’s eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled,” especially after contact with infected animals or contaminated environments (CDC, Apr 23, 2025).
1) Understanding today’s avian flu and zoonotic risk for parrot households
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has shown persistent circulation in wild birds, with Europe reporting 743 HPAI A(H5) detections across 31 countries between Dec 7, 2024 and Mar 7, 2025 (ECDC/EFSA, Mar 21, 2025). In that same overview, the risk to the general public was assessed as low, while the risk for people with exposure to infected birds or contaminated environments was low-to-moderate, an important distinction for anyone cleaning aviaries, handling outdoor-worn gear, or rescuing wildlife.
Later in 2025, ECDC described an “unprecedented surge” in H5N1 detections in wild birds during autumn, warning that higher circulation increases the chance of human exposure and emphasizing awareness for people handling wild birds (ECDC, Nov 25, 2025). For parrot owners, this matters because wild-bird activity can indirectly contaminate yards, patios, shoes, and equipment, creating a route for virus to enter an indoor bird room.
On the virology side, a CDC technical report noted that clade 2.3.4.4b viruses circulating at the time (Jun 5, 2024) lacked key markers associated with preferential binding to predominant human upper-respiratory receptors, yet still anticipated “additional sporadic zoonotic infections” where wild birds and poultry are widespread. In practice, that means rare human infections can still occur, and household prevention should focus on blocking exposure rather than assuming risk is zero.
2) How parrots (and people) get exposed: the pathways that matter most
For pet birds, the CDC has been direct: parrots can be exposed via the outdoors and wild birds, and prevention starts with preventing contact with wild birds, backyard poultry, and even cows (CDC, Mar 7, 2025). This includes avoiding situations where your parrot’s cage, play stand, food bowls, or toys are placed where wild birds can land, drop feces, or share water sources.
Human infection, when it happens, is often about the “how” of exposure. The CDC explains that infection can occur when virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled, often after contact with infected animals or contaminated environments (CDC, Apr 23, 2025). That is why eye protection and respiratory protection become relevant during cleanup, handling sick/dead birds, or disinfecting a space that may have been contaminated.
Real-world human case data underscore the importance of these routes. A PubMed epidemiology snapshot covering U.S. cases (Mar 2024, May 2025) reported 70 human HPAI H5N1 cases with exposures mainly to dairy cows (41) and commercial poultry (24), with fewer tied to backyard poultry (2). Symptoms were frequently ocular (89% eye redness), and investigators reported “No human-to-human transmission was detected.” Even though parrots are not cows, the takeaway for parrot owners is that eye exposure can be a key vulnerability during messy tasks (scrubbing cages, pressure-spraying, disposing of soiled litter) if a contamination event is possible.
3) Home biosecurity that fits parrot life (not a commercial farm)
Biosecurity is simply the set of habits that prevents pathogens from entering your bird’s environment. A practical, household-friendly approach mirrors the best-practices checklists used in outbreak notices for backyard flocks: keep wild birds and rodents out, restrict traffic, wash hands and boots/shoes, and maintain a written plan (Connecticut DoAg example, Jan 2025). Translating that to parrots can be as simple as having “bird-room shoes,” a handwashing station plan, and clear rules about who enters the bird area after outdoor activities.
The USDA has emphasized why this matters at scale: in its Feb 26, 2025 announcement of a multi-pronged effort “up to $1 billion,” USDA cited that “83% of HPAI cases” were linked to wild-bird transmission and highlighted that facilities following protocols had “only one outbreak” among ~150 facilities. While a parrot home is not a poultry complex, the logic still applies, most risk comes from outside introduction, so your best leverage is controlling what crosses your threshold (shoes, crates, visitors, equipment).
If you also keep chickens or ducks, apply CDC backyard-flock hygiene rules to protect the whole household: don’t bring birds into food areas, clean equipment outdoors, wash hands after contact, and learn to recognize signs of sick birds (CDC, Mar 7, 2025). Mixed-species homes should also consider creating a strict separation between the backyard flock zone and the indoor parrot zone, including dedicated tools and clothing for each.
4) Food, water, and the “raw” risk: what to avoid
Feeding practices can quietly introduce risk. The CDC has specifically advised: “Do not feed pets… unpasteurized (raw) milk,” and recommends avoiding raw pet food in the context of H5N1 prevention (CDC, Mar 7, 2025). For parrot owners, that means avoiding any unpasteurized dairy products in the home that might be handled around bird areas and being cautious about raw diets or raw animal products used for other pets.
CDC response updates in 2024 repeatedly reinforced that pasteurization kills H5N1 and that people should not drink raw milk, especially during outbreak conditions (CDC response updates Jul 12, 2024; Sep 27, 2024; Oct 29, 2024). Even if your parrot is not consuming milk, household routines matter: if raw milk is present, spills, splashes, and contaminated hands can create avoidable pathways into sinks, sponges, towels, and surfaces shared with bird-care tasks.
Water and produce hygiene also deserve attention. If you rinse vegetables for your parrot in an outdoor sink, use rain barrels, or place water bowls outside, treat these as potential points of contact with wild birds. Prefer municipal or otherwise safe water sources for bird drinking water, and clean bowls daily with a routine that separates bird items from human food prep items.
5) PPE and cleaning after a possible exposure: getting the sequence right
Most parrot households won’t need full PPE daily, but it becomes important if you handle a sick or dead bird (wild or domestic), clean up heavy droppings from unknown birds, or respond to an exposure event (for example, wild birds nesting on your balcony above an outdoor parrot area). CDC interim guidance highlights that being “within about six feet” of sick/dead birds or contaminated materials is an exposure scenario where PPE is recommended, including a NIOSH-approved respirator (e.g., N95), safety goggles, gloves, and coveralls.
The CDC also provides step-by-step PPE and cleanup sequencing guidance (May 3, 2024) that is applicable beyond farms, meaning it can be adapted for a contaminated parrot room, garage aviary, or quarantine space. The critical concept is to avoid contaminating your face and clothes during removal: eye and respiratory protection help prevent virus contact with mucous membranes, and careful doffing reduces self-contamination.
Some CDC materials discuss “150-day fallow” considerations after depopulation for poultry premises (CDC, May 3, 2024). A typical parrot home is not a depopulated poultry site, but the broader lesson is that time, thorough cleaning, and controlled re-entry matter after a serious contamination event. If your household experiences a confirmed HPAI event in nearby birds, or you have reason to believe your bird area was contaminated, consult an avian veterinarian and local animal health authorities for situation-specific recommendations before resuming normal routines.
6) What to do if you keep parrots and also interact with farms, live bird markets, or wildlife
Live animal interfaces are repeatedly recognized as higher-risk settings. The WHO advises public precautions around live animal markets and live poultry, emphasizing minimizing contact with potentially infected poultry/environments and strictly avoiding contact with sick or dead animals including wild birds (WHO, Feb 1, 2024). If you visit a live bird market, swap meet, fair, or farm supply auction, treat your clothing, shoes, and hands as potentially contaminated before you return to your parrot.
Risk management sometimes requires decisive public action: in New York, live bird markets were temporarily closed for cleaning and disinfection after H5N1 detections, with orders to remove live birds, disinfect, and remain closed for a period after cleaning (Feb 7, 2025). For parrot owners, this highlights a practical rule, avoid purchasing birds, cages, or used equipment from venues experiencing outbreaks or emergency closures, and quarantine any new bird under veterinary guidance.
Wildlife rescue is another common dilemma. Because you cannot reliably identify infected birds by appearance alone (UKHSA, Nov 19, 2025), avoid direct handling of sick or dead wild birds unless instructed by local authorities, and use recommended PPE if contact is unavoidable. Keep parrots away from found wildlife, and do not use shared towels, boxes, or carriers between wild birds and pet birds.
7) Planning and support: One Health, government programs, and practical checklists
Global and regional agencies increasingly frame HPAI as a One Health problem, linking animal health, human health, and environmental drivers. WOAH and FAO launched a new 10-year global strategy (2024, 2033) that “replaces the previous framework established in 2008” and aims to guide prevention and control for the next decade (WOAH + FAO, Feb 21, 2025). For parrot households, One Health thinking means you consider not only your bird’s cage, but also local wild-bird ecology, household food practices, and human protective behaviors.
European planning has also expanded beyond birds because spillover can involve mammals. The European Commission’s DG SANTE issued guidance on preventing and responding to zoonotic HPAI events in non-bird animals, covering “prevention, surveillance and response strategies” aligned with a “One Health approach” (Jun 24, 2025). Even if you are outside Europe, the underlying lesson is relevant: outbreaks are no longer confined to one species category, so prevention must consider broader household and community exposure routes.
In the U.S., practical help is available for operations that want structured improvements. USDA APHIS announced (Jan 13, 2026) free, voluntary on-site biosecurity assessments to reduce HPAI risk, plus cost-share support, “USDA will share up to 75 percent of the costs to fix the highest-risk biosecurity concerns identified by the assessments.” While targeted primarily to agricultural settings, parrot owners who also keep poultry or run small aviaries should ask local extension services or animal health agencies what assessment resources or checklists are available for their situation.
Protecting parrots from avian flu and other zoonotic threats is less about panic and more about disciplined routines: reduce contact with wild birds, prevent contamination from shoes and gear, avoid raw milk and risky raw animal products, and use appropriate PPE when cleaning potentially contaminated areas. These measures align closely with CDC and WHO guidance and address the most common spillover pathways, especially eye, nose, mouth, and inhalation exposures.
Because circulation levels can change quickly, such as the autumn 2025 surge in wild-bird detections noted by ECDC, your prevention plan should be adjustable. Keep a written household biosecurity checklist, know what to do if you find sick/dead birds, and build a relationship with an avian veterinarian so you can respond rapidly if your parrot shows signs of illness or if local authorities announce outbreaks nearby.