When you mention pigeons to people they likely will not have a lot of positive things to say. Some people call them rats with wings. This is a good comparison because both rats and pigeons are known for being a nuisance and spreading diseases. How much of what we might think of as facts about pigeons are indeed facts though? Today A-Tex Pest Management wants to give you some information about pigeons to help set the record straight.
Pigeon Disease Symptoms & Transmission
Unfortunately, pigeons do indeed carry and transmit diseases. They transmit diseases through their droppings. You may assume that since we all know that we should not pick up pigeon poop that this is not a concern. The bad news is we still have to worry about it even if we do not touch the actual pigeon poop. As pigeon droppings dry out it turns into a powder. This powder is then blown or kicked into the air and then we inhale it. When we inhale the powder we can get some of the diseases that pigeons are carrying. If you do get infected after inhaling the pathogenic airborne particles from the powder you may begin having symptoms afterward. Some common symptoms are temperature, coughing, body fatigue, and labored breathing. You may experience these symptoms for two to four days. If you have a healthy immune system many times your body will be able to fight off any infections. In addition to breathing in the powder from pigeon droppings, you may also get infected from the powder getting into any open wounds that you may have. If you have a wound that gets infected it will become red and puffy. Normally it will become filled with puss. If this happens you will need to get to the doctor so that you can get an antibiotic to fight the infection off.
Diseases Caused By Pigeon Droppings & Feathers
You may be asking at this point what types of diseases pigeons may transmit to humans. Here are some of the typical ones that they have been known to transmit.
• E.coli – This happens when bird droppings land in water or food supply that will later be consumed by humans. Thankfully you can avoid getting E. coli by washing your food thoroughly before eating it. If you get E. coli you may experience nausea, fever, and cramps.
• Candidiasis – The fungus or yeast in pigeon droppings causes this respiratory condition. Women are typically affected more than men with this. It can affect your skin, mouth, respiratory system, intestines, and urogenital tract.
• St. Louis encephalitis – If mosquitoes feed on a bird that carries St. Louis encephalitis they will spread this disease. It causes inflammation of your nervous system. Symptoms include drowsiness, headache, and fever.
• Histoplasmosis – The fungus that grows in pigeon droppings can cause this respiratory disease.
• Salmonellosis – You may not recognize the name because it is commonly called food poisoning. When the droppings turn into dust they contaminate food and make you sick.
Pigeon Bird Inspections, Treatment, Pest Control & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
If you have pigeons around your home you will want to make sure that you get rid of them as soon as possible. Getting rid of them can be extremely hard! Once pigeons have found a home for themselves they do not like to leave it. Here at A-Tex Pest Management, we provide pigeon control services to help you get rid of your pigeons as quickly as possible. Contact us today!