Are Pigeons Dangerous?

Wherever you go, you're likely to see pigeons bobbing and weaving as they peck around in search of food scraps. It seems like pigeons practically take over large cities and parks, but for the most part, they're not too bothersome, other than soiling statues and the occasional windshield. But these birds actually can be a health risk. Their droppings have been proven to carry several diseases that can infect and harm humans.

There are three diseases that the health departments have found in the pigeon droppings. These are histoplasmosis, psittacosis and cryptococcosis. Generally people will only become infected if they have direct contact such as when cleaning off droppings from buildings, roads or other surfaces. A person would have to inhale a sufficient amount of the fungus or bacteria to actually become ill.

Histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that thrives in the pigeon droppings, but a person would need to inhale quite a lot of the fungus for it to actually cause an infection. Once a person is exposed, they might develop symptoms about 10 days later. The symptoms could include flu-like signs like fever, fatigue and perhaps chest pains. In a healthy person, they will likely recover in time, but in someone with weakened immunity, such as the very old, very young or patients with AIDS, cancer or another illness that might cause them to be more susceptible.

Another disease is psittacosis. This is a very rare disease and it's not too likely that a person could become infected from pigeon droppings, but it is possible. Psittacosis is also called Parrot Fever because it's more commonly found in parrots. This is caused by a bacterial that can become airborne once the droppings dry out. It also has symptoms that almost mimic those of the flu and can show up in about 10 days after exposure; fatigue, fever, chills and headache. Luckily, this disease is easily treated with an antibiotic.

Cryptococcosis is also a fungus caused disease that has mostly shown up in HIV positive people due to their depressed immune system. Due to the occurrences, even though rare, of these diseases, the health departments in most cities suggest using disposable gloves and even a disposable respirator mask when cleaning up pigeon droppings. As with most contaminants, it's suggested also that to avoid the problem is to decrease the possibility of interacting with the droppings in the first place. This means discouraging pigeons from roosting around buildings or under tunnels by using spiked deterrents to keep them from taking up residence. A nothing solution might be to discourage people, especially children, from feeding pigeons in parks. If a food source isn't readily available, they'll be forced to move somewhere else.