Many people keep pigeons as a hobby, and in caring for them they come into contact with the birds in many ways every day. But did you know that this contact with pigeons can cause various illnesses in your body, and can even lead to death?

A child's death at a hospital in Glasgow has recently been blamed on an inflammation linked to pigeon droppings.

The child had been admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with another problem. While in hospital, the child contracted a fungal infection called Cryptococcus from pigeon droppings, which led to a new illness. The fungus is found in soil that has come into contact with pigeon droppings.

It is thought that pigeon droppings probably entered the room where the child was kept through a very small hole. The child died from the inflammation, although this particular inflammation does not spread from person to person.

Besides this fungal infection, pigeon droppings can cause several other illnesses in people. They can cause a type of flu, one form of which is psittacosis. Fever, headache and rashes are its common symptoms, and the problem can sometimes develop into pneumonia.

The flu can lead to an inflammation of the lungs called histoplasmosis. The body can also be infected with salmonella bacteria, which cause diarrhoea.

People with weak immunity, or who are already weakened by a physical problem like this child, are more likely to be infected.

Infection most commonly happens while cleaning pigeon droppings. Particles float in the air during cleaning and enter the body with the breath. People can also catch these diseases when droppings get on them while feeding or petting the birds.

So it is best not to let too many droppings build up in pigeon cages. Cover your nose and mouth when cleaning a pigeon house. If pigeon or other bird droppings come into contact with your body, clean them off very carefully.

Citing BBC Bangla.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.