Avoid Histoplasmosis: Get Your Dirty Chimney Cleaned!

The raucous racket that was coming from our chimney last month was driving me crazy. At first I thought maybe there was a bird's nest right outside our window full of unusually active babies. But then I happened to get close to the chimney in our house and realized that the bird's nest was actually inside. A knock on the hearth and a look at the tiny eggshells and bird droppings in our fireplace confirmed my suspicions that our house had been invaded by chimney swifts.

The house my husband and I are living in is a rental, located way out in the woods in a rural county south of Atlanta. Though this wasn't our first time living in the country, it was the first time either of us had encountered the little black birds who like to make their homes out of hollow logs and chimneys. Though the thought of having birds in the chimney was unnerving, what drove us to call the chimney sweep was the noise they were making every morning at the crack of dawn.

The chimney sweep's assessment

A chimney sweep and his assistant came to our home and took a look at the chimney. I could tell things were going to get expensive when he and his assistant used their flashlight to look up the flue and noticed at least three swift's nests there. Naturally, they recommended that we get the chimney cleaned. It appeared that the owners of our rental home had never done it before and using the chimney over the winter could be a fire hazard because of the buildup of creosote on the walls.

The chimney sweep then looked me in the eye and said that the chimney swifts' presence could also be a health hazard because it was obvious they'd been there for a long time. While chimney swifts don't spread disease in and of themselves, their droppings can be a source of histoplasmosis, a respiratory infection caused by the fungus, Histplasma capsulatum. This is generally a problem when droppings have been allowed to accumulate over a long period of time. Regularly cleaned chimneys that shelter chimney swifts are much less likely to cause health issues.

What are the symptoms of histoplasmosis?

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, histoplasmosis is often a mild, self-limiting disease that basically healthy people may ignore or perhaps not even notice. However histoplasmosis can be very dangerous or even life threatening for those who are very young, very old, or suffering from a compromised immune system.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Histoplasmosis primarily affects the lungs, but it can also spread to other organs. The signs and symptoms of histoplasmosis include: chronic cough, chest pain, fever, chills, sweats, lack of appetite, and weight loss. Anyone who experiences these symptoms should make an appointment with a doctor, since they can be caused by a number of different diseases. Let your doctor know if you think your symptoms could be caused by exposure to the fungus that causes histoplasmosis. He or she can then run the appropriate tests to find out for certain if that's what is making you sick.

The chimney swift controversy

Chimney swifts may be pesky for some homeowners, but they do enjoy certain protections under the law. Chimney swifts are migratory birds and from the time they show up in March until they fly south for the winter in September, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. That means that from March to September, it's illegal to disturb or remove their nests without a proper permit and permits often aren't granted unless there are documented health or safety issues involved. Violation of the law can lead to large fines or even jail time.

Moreover, chimney swifts are starting to become rare, mainly because there aren't as many places for them to roost anymore. Homeowners are capping their chimneys to keep them out. Homebuilders are constructing chimneys with metal linings that make it impossible for chimney swifts to nest. A lot of new homes are either being built with gas fireplaces or without fireplaces at all. Consequently, there are a number of groups who are trying to educate people about the value of chimney swifts. They may make a lot of noise for a short time in the summer, but they also eat a lot of bugs. Given our rural location here in Georgia, the potential for bug control is certainly one good reason to keep chimney swifts around. Insects spread diseases too!

If your chimney looks like ours...

Contact your local health department before you try to clean up the mess. The health department can arm you with the facts about your risk of exposure to the fungus that causes histoplasmosis. Until you can get the chimney cleaned, keep the fireplace closed or covered with plastic to prevent the Histplasma capsulatum spores from contaminating the air in your home. Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess in your chimney and consider wearing a respirator when you're close to the fireplace.

Strongly consider hiring a licensed professional chimney sweep to clean up your chimney. A professional chimney sweep will have the proper equipment and experience to do the job right.

After you've had the chimney swept, you may or may not want to install a cap to keep the birds from coming back. Certainly, the birds can be a nuisance when their young are cheeping up a storm early on a Saturday morning, but they can also be good neighbors if you have a lot of insects in your area.

Whatever you do, don't try to remove the birds or their nests before they've left for the winter. If you get caught, you can get hit with fines of up to $15,000 per egg or bird harmed or even go to jail.

As for our situation...

We approached our landlady about having the chimney cleaned. She wasn't too keen on the idea, probably because it would have cost her several hundred dollars to get the job done. Since we will be moving in less than a year, we decided to just keep the fireplace closed nice and tight. And when it comes time for us to find our new home, we'll be taking a closer look at the condition of the fireplace before we move in.

Sources:

Hilton, Chris. "What Is That Noise In The Chimney?" http://www.chrisdhilton.com/newsletters/chimney_swifts.htm

Indiana State Department of Health "Histoplasmosis: A Hoosier Concern" http://www.in.gov/isdh/23254.htm

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode16/usc_sec_16_00000704----000-.html

The Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/histoplasmosis/DS00517

Murray, Norman. "What's Cheeping in Your Chimney?" July 12, 2010 http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2001/06/whats-cheeping-your-chimney

WRAL "Chimneys Sing With The Sound of Swifts" July 14, 2003 http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/105950/