Bird and Animal Diseases

Safety precautions are necessary when working with pigeons, particularly if their droppings will be disturbed. Many pigeon diseases are transmitted through spores and fungus that grow in their feces.

Pigeons are notorious disease carriers, earning them the nickname “flying rats”.  They potentially carry Histoplasmosis, salmonella, Cryptococcosis, Psittacosis, pseudo-tuberculosis, and West Nile Virus, to name a few. 

Many of these pigeon diseases are not communicated by contact with the birds themselves, but rather with their droppings.  Fungi and spores grow and multiply in and on their waste. When the droppings are disturbed, such as when they are scraped up or swept up during cleaning, the spores and other dangerous particles become airborne and are potentially inhaled.  This is the beginning of respiratory illness.

Symptoms of Histoplasmosis include fatigue, fever and chest pains, and symptoms may be very mild or quite severe.  One of our Allstate technicians contracted Histoplasmosis from pigeon droppings and developed the worst cough of his life which lasted for 3 months.  The violent coughing also led to uncontrollable vomiting.  He lost 15 pounds while ill and thought he would die.  Fortunately he recovered, although he has since developed asthma as a result of the disease and occasionally has difficulty breathing.

Pigeon diseases are nothing to sneeze at.  They can cause serious repercussions and negatively affect quality of life.  If you have a nuisance bird problem or a bird mess to clean up, don’t take the risk of getting a pigeon disease.  Find a professional to do the cleanup, one who has the proper equipment and protective devices to prevent the contamination from spreading.

Allstate Bird and Animal Control has all the right gear for trapping and removing nuisance birds, and for cleaning up their droppings, feathers, and general mess.  We can sanitize, deodorize, and disinfect any affected areas, and can help you develop a long-term solution to the problem and avoid pigeon diseases.

Build up of pigeon waste is not only unsightly, it is also a serious health hazard.