Diagnosing Bird Fancier's Disease in Children

Abstract
Bird fancier's disease is a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis resulting from inhalation of various avian proteins. It is rarely diagnosed in childhood but should be considered in any child with persistent unexplained respiratory symptoms.1,2 We describe two patients referred to our pulmonary clinic with nonspecific respiratory complaints, in whom the diagnosis of avian protein-related hypersensitivity pneumonitis was initially not confirmed by serologic studies. CASE REPORTS Patient 1 An 11-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with a 1-year history of a mild nonproductive cough, poor appetite, weight loss, malaise, and an intermittent low-grade fever. According to an environmental history, the boy's father had been breeding pigeons, canaries, and parakeets in the family yard for years.

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