Hoppy, I had to raise an eyebrow- pigeons carry disease, yet your friend ate them?
I know they're supposed to carry disease but as most things in the public, that carries more weight than what is truth and is spread by people's fear and ignorance.
Here are some comments about pigeons and their disease:
http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/zoo ... oonos.html
The following are quotes from credible experts with the REAL FACTS about pigeons and public health:
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TV series segment, Healthier Living, shows how feeding wild pigeons helps relieve the stresses of day to day living.
"...diseases associated with [pigeons] present little risk to people..." Dr. Michael McNeil, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta.
"One man's nuisance is another man's pleasure." "'People worry that pigeons carry disease,' but the danger is 'an exaggeration created by pest control companies looking for business.'" - Guy Hodge, Naturalist for the Humane Society of the United States.
"The New York City Department of Health has no documented cases of communicable disease transmitted from pigeons to humans." - Dr. Manuel Vargas, New York City Department of Health.
"Pigeons are not a public health hazard. Nobody in public health is losing any sleep over pigeons." - Dr. Joel McCullough, Medical Director, Environmental Health, Chicago Department of Public Health.
"[...the Arizona Department of Health Services does] not have any documented human cases of disease which have been definitively linked to outdoor pigeons or pigeon droppings. When cases of diseases are reported (and by law [certain bird related zoonoses are] reportable diseases), VBZD staff conduct complete investigations to confirm the diagnosis and identify the source of infection. …Our case investigation data gathered so far, would suggest that pigeons are not significant as a cause of human disease in Arizona."
“We don’t see pigeon-related-disease problems...” “I don’t think they’re seeing them anywhere..." - Bill Kottkamp, Supervisor, Vector Control, St. Louis County Health Department
"Pigeons do not get avian influenza and don't carry the virus," Dr. Cornelius Kiley, DVM, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Although pigeons have been shown to become infected with West Nile Virus, they do not act as reservoirs and therefore don't transmit the virus..." -Pennsylvania West Nile Virus Surveillance Program.
As a result, pigeons are generally no longer accepted for West Nile Virus testing by other government disease-surveillance agencies in the U.S and elsewhere.
“We do have some concern about the indiscriminate killing of pigeons.” “[For example, histoplasmosis disease rates are] misleading and irrelevant, because histo’s so ubiquitous. It’s in the soil, regardless of whether pigeons are around or not...”- Dr. Marshall Lyon, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta
“Problematic density [affecting human safety] is probably more determined by people getting their possessions defaced.” “I’m not terribly worried about pigeons.” - Dr. Alex Bermudez, University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine
"I am not aware of any reported cases of diseases that were transmitted by pigeons in Mohave County." - Larry Webert, R.S., Mohave County Environmental Health Division
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And from New York, who knows something about pigeons
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Facts about pigeon-related diseases
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has developed this fact sheet to address common questions and concerns regarding pigeon-related diseases.
Pigeons are common to New York City. They often make nests in buildings and rapidly reproduce. Breeding occurs throughout the year, usually taking place between March and July. During these months, the DOHMH often receives questions about possible health risks associated with cleaning pigeon droppings. Contact with pigeon droppings may pose a small health risk. Three human diseases are known to be associated with pigeon droppings: histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis.
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus, which grows in pigeon droppings. It also grows in soils and is found throughout the world. When cleaning droppings a person may breathe in some of the fungus, which in cases of high exposure can cause infection. Common activities, such as cleaning off windowsills, will not result in high exposures.
Symptoms of histoplasmosis begin to appear about 10 days after initial infection and include fatigue, fever, and chest pains. Most people, however, do not show any symptoms. Those with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients or people living with HIV/AIDS are generally more at risk of developing histoplasmosis. The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person.
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcosis is another fungal disease associated with pigeon droppings and also grows in soils throughout the world. It is very unlikely that healthy people will become infected even at high levels of exposure. A major risk factor for infection is a compromised immune system. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 85 percent of cryptococcosis patients are HIV-positive.
Psittacosis
Psittacosis (also known as ornithosis or parrot fever) is a rare infectious disease that mainly affects parrots and parrot-like birds such as cockatiels, and parakeets, but may also affect other birds, such as pigeons. When bird droppings dry and become airborne people may inhale them and get sick.
In humans, this bacterial disease is characterized by: fatigue, fever, headache, rash, chills, and sometimes pneumonia. Symptoms develop about 10 days after exposure. Psittacosis can be treated with a common antibiotic.
Since 1996, fewer than 50 confirmed cases were reported in the United States annually. In New York City, psittacosis is very rare with less than one human case identified each year. According to the CDC, about 70% of infected people had contact with infected pet birds. Those at greatest risk include bird owners, pet shop employees, veterinarians, and people with compromised immune systems. No person-to-person cases have ever been reported.
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I am not for spreading more untruth about what I think is a beautiful and very intelligent bird.
I'm also not for killing off birds because somebody thinks they're a "nuisance." It might be worth remembering that starlings, as just one example, were introduced to a non-native habitat by us humans. I don't see as we've a right to kill them when we put them there to begin with.
