[CT Birds] CTBirds house finch eye disease

[Katz1449 at aol.com]

>From Bev Propen  12/29
 
I have been participating in the Cornell house finch eye  disease survey for 
almost 10 yrs.  The  sneezing, and swollen, oozy,  crusty and sometimes sealed 
shut eyes are the outer manifestation of a systemic  disease for the finches. 
 Over the years, I have had 1 or 2 at a time at my  feeders and I was told to 
clean the feeders thoroughly with hot water and  bleach, at least weekly to 
prevent the spread of the disease.  The other  day I had 3 sick house finches 
in one morning which was the highest count I  have had.  I did bleach the 
feeders and clean them thoroughly.
A few  years ago I did catch one finch which apparently  was totally blind in 
one eye, so I was able to sneak up on it and caught it in a  net.
I brought it over to the Ansonia Nature Center because they  told me they 
will treat the finch with antibiotics.  I called them several  times to check on 
its progress and I was told that the finch recuperated  and they released it.
I have read mixed reports on "curing" the finches.   One report said that if 
they are cured, they remain carriers of the  disease.  Another report I read 
said that if they are cured, that they  cannot spread the disease any further.  
I just felt good that at least one of them was rehabilitated  and released.
I don't know if there is any more recent research into the  disease and if it 
can be cured.



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