Pigeon Diseases: The What, the How and the Precautionary Measures

Pigeons are most probably the most common birds worldwide. They are notoriously infamous for occupying gaps and building crevices to settle their next and lay eggs. Breeding occurs throughout the year with high reproduction between March and July. Bird control is one of the main methods to curb pigeon population.

Although the birds themselves are pretty harmless, the droppings left behind by them are the main culprit for the numerous diseases and respiratory disorders.

Most common diseases caused by pigeons are Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis and Psittacosis (Parrot Fever). These diseases are airborne and spread via dried bird droppings. These diseases are capable of doing some serious health damage.

1. Histoplasmosis

This is caused by a fungus which grows in the droppings of pigeons. A user is especially susceptible to an infection while clearing and cleaning the droppings. It usually takes high amount of exposure to cause any real damage.

2. Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis is yet another fungal disease which grows on the pigeon droppings and also in soil all over the world. Typically a healthy person won’t be easily infected, even after prolonged exposure. It only affects those with a weak immunity system as nearly 85% of the affected are HIV positive.

3. Psittacosis

This is a rare infectious disease which, mainly affects parrot- like birds but is also known to affect pigeons. When the bird dropping from an infected bird goes dry, inhaling it put you at a risk. Symptoms show after 10 days of exposure and it can be treated with a cocktail of antibiotics. Although this infection is rare, the people working around birds at places like pet shops, veterinary clinics and those with weak immunity are on a high risk. There is no documented case of it transferring from person to person in its history.

Protection

A clean surrounding is the first step in securing a disease- proof environment. A thorough clean should be regularly conducted for the droppings which not only deface the buildings (risking long term destruction) but also seriously hamper the health of those around you.

A routinely clean-up of the window sills and goop accumulation should suffice, but only with a pair of gloves and clothes that can be washed. For the hardened and dry droppings, it is recommended to use a high power water pipe to hose down the dirt. Even though the diseases pose a minor threat, the damage can be minimized with the use of protective gear and safety precautions.

If you are looking to tackle the on-going pigeon problem in your area and wondering how to scare the pigeons away there are numerous techniques you can implement.

Once the structures are cleaned, it is vital to keep them clean by regular hosing down to prevent accumulation of droppings in the future.

The excess droppings are usually caused by unregulated feeding of the birds. Try and find out if anyone in your neighborhood supplies access of food to the pigeons and educate them about the hazards it can cause.