Diseases Caused by Pigeon Droppings

Pigeons are common in cities and urbanized rural areas. These birds have high preference on buildings and other man-made structures as their nesting place. They can also reproduce very rapidly because they do not follow a strict mating season, in fact, these birds can mate anytime of the year though they are most active from March to July. It is during these months when pigeons become extremely dangerous, not because they become wild when they are sexually active (because they don't), but because they are inclined to form huge flocks during this period. Huge pigeon flocks pose a serious threat to human health because of the large amount of droppings that they can deposit in the specific area where they perch as a flock.

Pigeon droppings provide an excellent home for harmful bacteria and other dangerous pathogens which can cause serious human diseases. Examples of these diseases are histoplasmosis, psittacosis and crytococcosis. The first one is associated with a specific kind of fungi that feed on the human eyeball. This disease is only one of the 60 different kinds of human diseases caused by birds. Pigeons have become a massive carrier of these diseases because of the droppings that they spread. The droppings harbour all sorts of dangerous microorganisms which can become airborne once the droppings dry out and become dust. Although it transform into minute particulates, the size of a dust dropping is still enough to serve as a host to some bacteria and viruses. Once a person inhales the contaminated dust, it seeps directly into his or her mucus membrane where its infestation in the human body starts.

Pigeon droppings are also notorious of its smell. Many people who live in places infested by thousands of pigeons complain about the terrible smell that emanates from pigeon droppings that accumulates in different parts of the city or the town. These droppings are also very acidic that it can hasten the corrosion of a structure to as fast as 500% its natural deterioration rate. Yet, the most alarming thing about pigeon droppings remains to be the disease that it can cause.

However, pigeon control is not really given that much attention by local legislators. Too few people realize that their droppings can cause diseases, so they also show little support on pigeon control. Legislators also do not want to spend their energy on things which their constituents do not find to be very important, they would rather be engaged into projects that can give them more good publicity. Nevertheless, if the people are made aware of just how dangerous these droppings can be, then maybe the situation can change. But as of now, homeowners are expected to control the pigeons that get lost into their lawns and backyards, pigeon control is not yet widely acknowledged as a communal concern.

As a general started, the people should be made aware the droppings can carry microorganisms that can cause fatal diseases. Examples of these microorganisms are the salmonella and the E.coli bacteria -- two dangerous microorganisms which many people are familiar with. Apart from these, droppings can also cause meningitis and permanent lung damage. In reality, pigeon control is actually a serious business in securing public health. Bird-related diseases do not just affect a specific group of people, these diseases can also threat the general populace and thus, it should be addresses accordingly.

Description of Pigeon-Related Diseases

1. Histoplasmosis - The symtoms common to people who have Histoplasmosis often appear 10 days after the infection is contracted. The symptoms include: chest pains, fatigue and fever. This disease is not communicable between humans but humans can get it on their own because of the dust droppings. People who have weak immune systems like those who suffer from HIV are very susceptible to catching Histoplasmosis.

2. Crytococcosis - Just like Histoplasmosis, this disease is also caused by fungi that grow on pigeon droppings. The fungal infection that gives birth to this disease cannot easily affect a healthy person even after an extremely high level of exposure. However, those with weak immune systems are still very susceptible to this disease. In fact, statistics reveal that 85% of all crytococcosis infected patients are also HIV positive.

3. Psittacosis - This disease became known as the parrot fever because it mainly attacks parrots and birds which are closely related to parrots. Examples of such birds are parakeets and cockatiels. This is a unique disease because it does not only affect humans but it also affects the pigeon themselves. The common symptoms of Psittacosis are rashes, pneumonia, fever, fatigues, chills and headaches. These symptoms appear 10 days after the patient is infected. Psittacosis is treated using common antibiotic.

Nevertheless, although this disease is easy to cure, it is still alarming to know that so far, about 70% of all psittacosis patients got their disease after an interaction with a pigeon, many of which are pet owners, veterinarians and animal handlers. So far, no record has been found to support that the disease can be transferred from one human to another.

Responsibilities of Cleaning

We are all responsible to clean out pigeon droppings in our surrounding. We can't expect pigeons to clean their own mess, right? So, we need to act fast before these diseases strike us. The general public should be involved in a routine clean-up activity. Cleaners are advised to wear boots, gloves and mask during the activity.

Cleaners can use water dispensed through a high-powered hose to wash away the droppings. Dried droppings should also be sprayed with water in order to prevent possible inhalation. People with HIV should not participate in the clean-up activities no matter what their reason might be. finally, everyone who participates in the clean-up should thoroughly wash their hands before touching any food.

We should all remember that it is for the best interest of the entire community to keep our surroundings clean. While we can't really stop thousands of pigeons from nesting in our localities, we can still try to control the damages that they can do by working hand-in-hand with one another.