Of course, we need to put this risk into perspective. Of the over 250 known zoonoses, only 25 involve birds. From the practical standpoint of a pet owner, you can whittle that number down even further to about four serious concerns: psittacosis ("parrot fever"), salmonella infections, avian tuberculosis and allergic alveolitis.

Now, let's address each of these four possible risks. Parrot fever and salmonella can be fatal to anyone. Avian TB isn't fatal but can pose a danger to people with immune-deficiency problems. Birds can be screened for any of these three conditions; unfortunately, testing is not entirely reliable. Neither is treatment, should something be found. Your best bet is to keep the bird cage scrupulously clean by removing droppings every day.

The last item in the list, allergic alveolitis, is a respiratory condition caused by long exposure to bird dander. To guard against this, I would keep dander in the environment to a minimum and not let any child sleep in the same room with a bird. On the bright side, a recent study of children and allergies to dogs has shown that children exposed to dogs at an early age had a much lower incidence of dog allergies later in life. This may apply to other species as well.

Finally, it helps to keep in mind that birds are not the only pets that pose certain health risks, however minimal. Studies have shown that up to 10 percent of dogs and 27 percent of cats carry salmonella.

James Harris, DVM is owner and medical director of the Mayfair Veterinary Clinic in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia. He founded Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and has served as medical director and chairman of the board for the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Berkeley. Dr. Harris' numerous professional honors include California and National Bustad Companion Animal DVM Awards.

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