Whether in residences, under electric poles or even on public roads, we may have seen
pigeons, some gathering in armies, some alone. Looking at them, they are cute and adorable for animal lovers. However, if you are someone who has watched the news or documentaries, you may know that these stray
pigeons are a good source of germs that have made humans like us sick to the point of death.
Dangerous diseases that come from “pigeons”
1. Meningitis
Normally, meningitis can be caused by germs, viruses or bacteria from the environment around us. From our living place. Unclean environment or from parasites that come from unclean or undercooked food.
These germs enter the body through the respiratory tract, by inhaling the germs. Which may be found in pigeon droppings, which contain a type of fungus that causes meningitis. You may inhale dry droppings, or your hands may touch pigeon droppings and not clean them, and then pick up food and put it in your mouth. You can also become infected through the digestive tract.
Symptoms of meningitis
- Fever, headache, and tightness in the throat
- May have photophobia
- If infected by a virus, the symptoms will not be very severe. If you have good immunity, if you see a doctor to take medicine, you will recover normally.
- If infected by bacteria, symptoms can be very severe. Symptoms may include convulsions, unconsciousness, disabilities such as paralysis, deafness, crooked mouth, brain damage, or death can occur very quickly.
2. Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcus neoformans is usually an animal disease caused by infection with the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans which is found all over the world. Most animals are cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, llamas and others that may be sick with this disease. However, this type of fungus can be found in the droppings of pigeons and other birds such as canaries, budgerigar, parrots, cockatoos, parakeets, chickens, sparrows, starlings and doves which these birds do not show any symptoms of being sick.
Symptoms of Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcosis is an animal disease, but people can also get it. If they have a weakened immune system, they may breathe in mold from the soil around their animals or from the droppings of animals such as pigeons. This can cause fever, coughing up blood, chest pain, vision problems, and confusion. If there is an infection in the lungs or brain, they may become confused or have unusual behavior.
3. Pneumonia
From the same type of fungus (Cryptococcus neoformans), if the spores or this type of fungus are inhaled into the lungs, it can cause pneumonia. It starts with a lung infection and may gradually spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms will start to be similar to the 2 diseases mentioned, which are fever, intermittent headache, dizziness, pain in the temples, eye sockets, or it may even lead to vomiting, coughing up bloody sputum, bronchitis, and importantly, it may cause a bloodstream infection that can lead to death.
The dangers from birds do not end there. There are many respiratory diseases, including bird flu, which originated from birds. Therefore, people with low immune systems should avoid contact with such germs and know how to protect themselves, such as wearing a cloth to cover their mouth and nose when cleaning old buildings or areas where birds are found, because they may be a source of germs contaminated by bird droppings, and washing hands every time after cleaning.
In addition, there are various methods of repelling birds from the residence, such as installing nets, gratings, or stretching ropes to prevent birds from destroying the building and then living in it, or repelling birds with scent, such as scent extracted from grape seeds, ทางเข้า ufabet or using chemicals that have a direct effect on the bird’s tracheal membranes, such as camphor, borneol, mothballs, etc.