DANGER OF PIGEONS - BEWARE!

PIGEONS are descendants of wild rock doves that inhabited cliffs and are attracted to buildings in cities. How dangerous is pigeon poo? Breathing dust or water droplets containing contaminated bird droppings can lead to several diseases, including a flu-like illness called psittacosis. Salmonella - a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhoea and may also be present in some bird dropping. These plump, small-billed, and semi-domesticated birds may look gentle, but they are the most unhygienic birds and carry more diseases than rats!. They nest on their faeces and attract bird mites, which are tiny insects that feed off the bird, but will also make humans itch and scratch. People washing window ledges could breathe in a fungus found in pigeon droppings that affects the lungs. The disease is called histoplasmosis and symptoms include fatigue, fever, cough and chest pain. The fungus can also be inhaled when airborne after bird droppings become dry and those infected may suffer dry cough, fever, headache, muscle ache, chills and sometimes pneumonia. Blog "Anim Agriculture Technology'' share a report by YS Chan posted by NST for all readers.

Normally a large numbers of pigeons are found at tourist sites where vendors sell birdfeed to visitors. At places such as Batu Caves, tourists also enjoy feeding the fishes and monkeys. Some naive visitors dice with danger by teasing primates that can suddenly turn aggressive. Globally, one of the most famous spots where large numbers of pigeons are found is London's Trafalgar Square. About 20 years ago, their droppings caused £140,000 worth of damage to the Nelson's Column monument there. Ken Livingstone, the first Mayor of London from 2000 to 2008, described the thousands of pigeons that flocked around the Nelson's Column monument as 'rats with wings' and a health hazard. A control programme was introduced and pigeon feeding limited to 35 kilos a day, down from 150 kilos, and the number of pigeons was reduced from 6,000 to 1,500.

But in Malaysia, we carry on regardless, oblivious to the danger of pigeons – but well aware of the dangers of crows, which are shot. For example, Kuala Lumpur City Hall's enforcement department carries out 15 to 18 operations annually and shoots between 4,400 and 5,400 crows. At the Batu Cave Temple hosting thaosands of pigeons (See picture). The condominium where I live consists of several apartment blocks and are home to hundreds of pigeons making full use of the roofs and ledges for resting and defecating. They continue to multiply by laying eggs behind room air-conditioning compressor units. If a drone is used to take videos of the mess they leave behind, residents would be shocked by the amount of bird droppings covering the roofs and exterior of the buildings. It is well-known that the deadly bird flu can be transmitted from the faeces of infected birds. 

In 2015, South Korea culled 14 million chickens and other poultry to prevent an avian flu outbreak from spreading. There was another outbreak the following year and 16 million more were culled and had been brought under control since.  I hope the authorities and the condominium's joint management committee take cognisance of the dangers posed by pigeons living in proximity with residents. While most of us could survive dengue and Covid-19 viruses, the mortality rate for avian influenza is about 60 per cent, meaning the majority of patients will die, compared to less than 1.4 per cent for Covid-19 cases in Malaysia. Source: Wikipedia, NST

Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

July 2020.