What diseases do pigeons carry?

The opinion about doves as symbols of peace arose from the ancient Greek myth about a dove that made a nest in the helmet of Mars, the god of war. In fact, pigeons are not peaceful birds and often kill their weak relatives. But cannibalism is not limited to pigeons. Pigeons – carriers of diseases for humans, are able to work as a biological weapon in the area, the antipodes of which birds are according to myth.

Is it possible to get sick from pigeons

Even without direct contact with a pigeon, a person has not zero chances of contracting an anthropozoonotic, that is, a disease common to animals and humans. Many pigeon diseases are transmitted through fecally contaminated water, food, or surfaces. City pigeons defecate on balcony railings. It is enough not to wash your hands after touching the railing in order to become infected with one of the pigeon diseases dangerous to humans. In birds, such diseases are not treated. Antibiotics can help people. But some of the diseases carried by pigeons are difficult to cure. Such diseases of pigeons manage to leave irreparable damage in the human body.

How does the infection occur?

Many contagious diseases of pigeons are transmitted in the “traditional” way. That is, pigeon droppings pollute water and food. In summer, pigeons trample on the windowsill, starting fights and raising dust. Windows are usually open for ventilation. Dust and litter particles raised by pigeons fly into the apartment and fall into open containers with food. In this way, a person becomes infected through the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the most dangerous pigeon diseases for humans, which causes a cough similar to a cold, is transmitted by air. This is ornithosis. It is often called “parrot disease”, since it can be infected not only from pigeons, but also from domestic ornamental birds.

Another way of infecting pigeons with diseases is blood-sucking parasites. Ixodid ticks, “glorious” for their ability to transmit encephalitis, also parasitize pigeons. In addition to tick-borne encephalitis, ticks can be carriers of other pigeon diseases. Pigeon bugs are also capable of transmitting pigeon diseases. The difference between the parasites is that the tick can fall off the pigeon at any moment and fall on the floor of the balcony or apartment, and the bugs live in pigeon nests.

What diseases do pigeons carry for humans

Most diseases transmitted to humans from pigeons are not caused by viruses, but by bacteria and protozoa. But since the pathogens of pigeons are specific, one person gets sick. Pigeon diseases are not able to be transmitted from person to person. The exception is ornithosis, which can infect the whole family. Usually the source of infection in a “mass” disease is a recently purchased parrot. If no one brought home a sick pigeon.

It is very easy to bring a sick pigeon home. Pigeon fledglings cannot fully fly. People catch little pigeons out of pity. At best, they plant them higher, but there has already been contact. At worst, they bring pigeons home. You can meet an adult flightless pigeon. Many people think that the cat hurt the pigeon and try to cure the bird at home. But the flightless adult pigeon is sick. And the third option is a nest of pigeons on the balcony: the diseases that pigeons carry are secretive in birds and “activated” in the human body. A nest of pigeons on the balcony is not a joy and not a “good omen: someone will get married / marries soon”, but a potential source of diseases carried by pigeons:

• ornithosis;
• salmonellosis;
• campylobacteriosis;
• listeriosis;
• tularemia;
• cryptococcosis;
• toxoplasmosis;
• Newcastle disease.

Against the background of these diseases, such a “trifle” as an allergy to feather scales falling from pigeons can be ignored. Not everyone is allergic to pigeons.

Ornithosis

Less well known than leptospirosis, an acute infectious disease of birds. It is caused by Chlamydia psittaci. In pigeons, psittacosis is often asymptomatic, but sometimes becomes clinical. The main symptom of the disease is the complete absence of fear of a person in a dove. The dove does not seek to avoid contact. The plumage of the pigeon is often disheveled, there are also serous-purulent outflows from the eyes. It is impossible to feel sorry for such a dove and contact him.

The causative agent of ornithosis persists in the external environment for up to 3 weeks. An outwardly healthy pigeon carries the disease, releasing chlamydia into the external environment along with litter. When it enters the human body, along with dust, the bacterium penetrates into the cells, where it develops. The appearance of the first symptoms of the disease depends on the place where chlamydia has penetrated. Ornithosis affects:

• lungs;
• central nervous system;
• liver;
• spleen.

In humans, the disease usually begins with damage to the respiratory system, since this is the main route of transmission of ornithosis from birds to people.

Ornithosis in humans is quite difficult and can cause serious complications. There are two forms of the disease: acute and chronic. Acute – the most common form when infected from a pigeon or other bird. The incubation period lasts from 6 to 14 days. Starts as a lung infection:

• a sudden increase in temperature up to 39 ° C;
• headache;
• coryza;
• stuffy nose;
• general weakness;
• muscle pain;
• decreased appetite;
• perspiration and dryness in the throat.

After a couple of days, a dry cough develops, chest pain appears, aggravated by inhalation. Later, a dry cough turns into a wet cough with sputum.

If the signs of ornithosis were taken as a manifestation of more common respiratory diseases: pneumonia, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, the treatment will be prescribed incorrectly, and chlamydia will have time to enter the bloodstream, causing damage to the internal organs and central nervous system.

The defeat of the adrenal glands, the central nervous system and edema of the liver and spleen is characterized by a chronic form of the disease. Since chlamydia poisons the body with waste products, the patient has constant intoxication with a consistently high temperature of up to 38 ° C and signs of bronchitis. The chronic form can last more than 5 years.

The acute form can be typical with the development of pneumonia and atypical, in which meningitis, meningopneumonia and ornithosis develop without affecting the lungs. The disease can be treated, but it is a long and complicated process. Treatment with specific antibiotics is required for 2-3 months. Immunity after recovery does not last long and repeated cases of the disease are quite likely.

Complications

Ornithosis is dangerous and the development of diseases leading to death: acute heart failure and thrombophlebitis. Hepatitis and myocarditis also develop. In secondary infections, purulent otitis media and neuritis are observed. In pregnant women, the fetus is aborted.

salmonellosis

The most “famous” disease of birds, which is transmitted even through chicken eggs. It is also the main disease transmitted to humans by pigeons. The prevalence of salmonellosis is explained by the fact that the chicks become infected while still in the egg. In pigeons, salmonellosis often occurs without external signs. A sick female lays already infected eggs. Clinical signs of the disease appear if the pigeon weakens for one reason or another.

Salmonellosis is transmitted through droppings and direct contact with sick pigeons. In humans, salmonella is localized in the small intestine, causing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The incubation period for salmonellosis can be from 6 hours to 3 days. Most often, the latent period lasts 12-24 hours. The course of the disease can be acute or latent. With the first, the symptoms of the disease are well expressed, with the second, a person may not even be aware of the infection, being a carrier of salmonella and infecting others.

After colonization of the small intestine, Salmonella multiply and release a toxin that poisons the body. Signs of intoxication:

• loss of water through the walls of the intestines;
• violation of the tone of blood vessels;
• disruption of the CNS.

Externally, salmonellosis is expressed as a gastrointestinal disease. Often, salmonellosis is confused with severe poisoning caused by spoiled foods:

• vomiting;
• nausea;
• elevated temperature;
• headache;
• general weakness;
• severe bowel disorder, expressed in loose, watery stools;
• abdominal pain.

Due to severe diarrhea, the body becomes dehydrated. As a result of exposure to toxins, the liver and spleen increase in size. Renal failure may develop.

With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, salmonellosis disappears after 10 days. Antibiotics of the penicillin group and fluoroquinolones are used for treatment.

Campylobacteriosis

One of the diseases that are asymptomatic in pigeons, but in humans causing serious damage to almost all body systems.

The disease also applies to intestinal infections. Campylobacter enters the human intestinal tract through pigeon-contaminated food and water. Young children, who do not have strong immunity, are especially affected. In children under 1 year of age, campylobacter can cause sepsis.

Since children like to put their fingers in their mouths, it is enough for a child to touch the railing contaminated with pigeons to become infected with campylobacteriosis. The disease is very variable in its manifestations and can be easily confused with other diseases.

Development of the disease

The incubation period lasts 1-2 days. After that, there are signs of the flu, which deceive most parents:

• headache;
• fever;
• myalgia;
• malaise;
• temperature rise to 38 °C.

This state lasts for 24-48 hours. This period is called prodromal, that is, immediately preceding the disease.

After the prodromal period, there are symptoms of a real disease related to intestinal infections:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• severe abdominal pain;
• severe diarrhea, the stool becomes frothy, thin and fetid;
• possible dehydration due to diarrhea.

2 days after the onset of symptoms of this disease, signs of colitis appear. Abdominal pain acquires a cramping character, often simulating a picture of appendicitis with symptoms of peritonitis.

Treatment of the intestinal form of the disease is carried out with erythromycin and fluoroquinolones. Extraintestinal – tetracycline or gentamicin. The prognosis for the disease is usually good, but death can occur in young children and immunocompromised people.

Listeriosis

It is more difficult to contract listeriosis from pigeons than other diseases, but nothing is impossible. Listeria monocytogenes is interesting because its natural primary reservoir is the soil. From there it enters the plants. And only then “moves” into herbivores. A person most often becomes infected with listeriosis by eating contaminated food and water.

There are no obvious ways of getting listeriosis from a pigeon, but again you need to remember the problem of unwashed hands. The most favorable environment for the reproduction of Listeria is the top layer of silage. This is how cattle and village pigeons become infected with bacteria.

At first glance, listeriosis has nothing to do with city pigeons. But there are city dumps with rotting food waste that perfectly replace silage. The dove is an almost omnivorous bird. After walking through the waste, the pigeon becomes infected itself and becomes a mechanical carrier of bacteria. Pigeons can fly long distances. After eating in a landfill, pigeons return to the roofs, balconies and window sills of houses, becoming carriers of the disease. The transmission of listeriosis to people here becomes a matter of technology.

The disease in pigeons usually has a latent course. Listeriosis is openly manifested in weakened pigeons. Since Listeria affects the nervous system, clear clinical signs mean that the pigeon is already dying. In this case, listeriosis may already be transmitted directly from the pigeon to humans through contact.

Listeria usually enters the human body through the gastrointestinal tract. The disease begins as an intestinal infection. Further development of symptoms depends on the localization of the Listeria colony.

Symptoms of listeriosis

Risk groups for listeriosis:

• children up to a year;
• pregnant women;
• adults older than 55 years;
• people with diabetes, cancer or HIV;
• being treated with corticosteroids.

CNS infection with Listeria can lead to meningitis and encephalitis. Deaths have also been reported in cases of listeriosis.

The incubation period lasts from several days to several weeks. Sometimes it can take several months. During this time, a person manages to forget about contact with pigeons and is unaware of infection. Due to the wide variability of symptoms, an accurate diagnosis is made in the laboratory and not earlier than 2 weeks from the date of sampling. You need to start treatment as early as possible. In total, there are 10-18 forms of the disease.

Sharp:

• chills;
• headache;
• muscle and joint pain;
• after 3 weeks, an increase in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
• the appearance of a red rash on the body with the formation of a “butterfly” on the face and thickening of papules in the joints; 

Visceral:

• fever;
• enlargement and soreness of the lymph nodes;
• constipation;
• catarrhal angina;
• enlargement of the spleen and liver;

Glandular;

• increased sweating;
• chills;
• fever;
• enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver;
• sometimes cervical lymphadenitis and tonsillitis;
• very rarely eye damage;

nervous:

• headache;
• chills;
• fever;
• violation of skin sensitivity;
• convulsions;
• rave;
• impaired consciousness;
• mental disorders;
• omission of the eyelids;
• different pupil sizes;

Mixed:

• pain in the joints and muscles;
• fever;
• headache;
• enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes;
• angina;
• there are vague neurological signs;

Chronic: asymptomatic; sometimes manifests itself as the flu; dangerous for pregnant women, as the fetus can become infected.

With listeriosis in pregnant women, there is no clearly defined picture of symptoms. Only shortly before childbirth, the disease can manifest itself with chills, fever and muscle pain. Sometimes angina and purulent conjunctivitis develop. Termination of pregnancy is recommended.

In newborns, listeriosis is severe. With intrauterine infection, the child is born dead or premature. In the latter case, the death of the child occurs within 2 weeks. When infected during childbirth, the disease manifests itself after 7-14 days:

• dyspnea;
• fever;
• stuffy nose;
• retardation;
• lethargy;
• bluish skin;
• rash on arms and legs;
• enlarged liver;
• possible development of jaundice;
• sometimes convulsions and paralysis develop.

Listeriosis is best treated at an early stage, which is usually missed. Antibiotics of the penicillin and tetracycline groups are prescribed. Treatment continues for 2-3 weeks.

Tularemia

A disease of pigeons that a person can contract without contact with a pigeon. It is enough for the pigeons to make a nest on the balcony. The bacteria Francisella tularensis is transmitted:

• in contact with animals;
• through contaminated food and water;
• air by inhalation of dust from cereals;
• blood-sucking parasites.

The natural reservoir for bacteria is small wild animals. Pigeon bugs, in the event of a loss of a host, look for a new source of food. If the pigeon was sick, a parasite crawling into the house from the nest can transmit the disease to people.

In Our Country, tularemia is ubiquitous. It is not worth counting on a favorable epidemiological situation in the region. Suffice it to recall the “accusation” of the USSR of using tularemia near Moscow as a bacteriological weapon during the Second World War. But no one applied anything, sick mice came to bask in the human housing. At that moment, the Germans were in the houses.

The incubation period usually lasts 3-7 days. Possible duration up to 21 days or the appearance of the first signs only a few hours after infection. There are several forms of the course of the disease:

• bubonic: penetration through the skin;
• conjunctival-bubonic: damage to the mucous membrane of the eye;
• ulcerative bubonic: an ulcer at the site of infection;
• anginal-bubonic: damage to the mucous membranes of the tonsils during oral infection;
• broncho-pneumonic with bronchitis and pneumonic variant of the course;
• abdominal (intestinal): occurs in winter and autumn;
• generalized (primary septic): proceeds with signs of general intoxication of the body.

The disease begins with a rise in temperature to 40 ° C. The temperature rises suddenly, without any preliminary signs. Next appear:

• dizziness;
• Strong headache;
• loss of appetite;
• muscle pain in the legs, back and lower back;
• in severe cases, nosebleeds and vomiting are added.

Tularemia often causes sweating, insomnia, or drowsiness. Against the background of high temperature, increased activity and euphoria may occur. In the first days of the disease, swelling and redness of the face are noted, conjunctivitis develops. Later, hemorrhages appear on the oral mucosa. Gray coated tongue.

Depending on the form of the disease, there may be other signs characteristic of a particular type of the course of the disease.

Tularemia is treated with antibiotics for 2 weeks. Relapses or specific complications of the disease are possible.

Pseudotuberculosis

Second name: Far Eastern scarlet fever. Mammals and birds suffer from pseudotuberculosis. The disease is poorly understood. The main route of infection is contaminated food. The probability of getting Yersinia pseudotuberculosis pathogen from a pigeon into human food is small, but it should not be ruled out.

Pigeons with pseudotuberculosis are immediately noticeable. Doves are oppressed, with disheveled plumage. The pigeon’s breathing is difficult, the position of the head is abnormal.

Treatment of pseudotuberculosis in pigeons has not been developed. Sick pigeons are immediately destroyed. Owners of expensive pigeons try to treat diseased birds on their own with antibiotics, endangering not only themselves, but also those around them.

Symptoms of pseudotuberculosis in humans

In humans, pseudotuberculosis occurs as an acute intestinal infection. The most common localized form, which occurs in 80% of cases of this disease:

• temperature up to 39 °C;
• headache;
• vomiting;
• chills;
• stomach ache;
• myalgia;
• weakness;
• diarrhea up to 12 times a day;
• stools are fetid, frothy, brown-green in color. If the colon is affected, feces may contain mucus and blood.

Joint damage, rash and signs of hepatitis are possible.

With an arthralgic form of leakage, rheumatism is often misdiagnosed. With this form of the disease, diarrhea and vomiting may not be present, but there is pain in the joints, damage to the gastrointestinal tract and a rash.

The generalized form begins with a temperature of 38-40 ° C, weakness and vomiting. Further, conjunctivitis develops, the liver and spleen increase. After 2-3 weeks, a rash appears on the limbs. From the 4th week, self-healing begins, with exfoliation of the skin at the site of the rash.

The septic form of the disease develops in people with immunodeficiency: temperature up to 40 ° C, chills, sweating, anemia. This form of the disease lasts from several months to a year. Lethal outcomes reach 80%.

Pseudotuberculosis is treated with antibiotics. Patients are prescribed a special diet.

Tuberculosis

The chances of contracting tuberculosis from a pigeon are much higher than getting scarlet fever. In pigeons, tuberculosis occurs in a chronic form with blurred signs. The main symptoms in the form of a decrease in egg production and exhaustion in pigeons are not monitored by anyone. The presence of tuberculosis in a pigeon can be suspected by lameness and a tumor-like formation on the sole of the paw. Tuberculosis is not treated in any species of domestic animals, since this disease is included in the list of dangerous ones.

In any big city, there is a place for a pigeon to catch tuberculosis. Further, the dove can transfer it to a person. Symptoms of tuberculosis in humans:

• prolonged cough with sputum;
• subfebrile temperature for a long time;
• weakness;
• decreased appetite;
• night sweats;
• weight loss.

In humans, tuberculosis manifests itself with a general weakening of the immune system, but when confronted with an active Koch wand, even a person without health problems can get sick.

Treatment of tuberculosis requires a long time and an integrated approach. It is better to carry it out in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Cryptococcosis

Pigeons do not tolerate cryptococcosis. But the disease is caused by the yeast fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. These fungi grow on bird droppings. Usually they are isolated from the droppings and nests of pigeons. Fungi may be present in soil contaminated or fertilized with manure. Cryptococci are also isolated from mammalian litter. The disease is not transmitted from person to person. The route of transmission is dust in the air.

The disease develops in people with reduced immunity. This is typical for any mold and yeast fungi. People with HIV are most susceptible to the disease. Cryptococcosis can occur in 3 forms:

Pulmonary: asymptomatic or with fever, hemoptysis and cough with sputum;

disseminated, which is usually recorded in patients with immunodeficiency. Are affected:

• kidney;
• adrenal glands;
• eyes;
• a heart;
• prostate;
• bones;
• lymph nodes;
• painless skin lesions may occur;

Cryptococcal meningitis:

• in the initial stage asymptomatic;
• dizziness;
• fever;
• headache;
• epileptic seizures;
• impaired vision.

The pulmonary form is observed in 30% of those infected with cryptococcosis. Treatment with intravenous injections of antifungal drugs lasts 1,5-2,5 months.

But the lack of treatment will lead to death.

Toxoplasmosis

The disease is caused by a single-celled parasite. Both mammals and birds are affected. Pathways of infection in the wild have been little studied. It is believed that pigeons become infected with parasites by eating infected food.

A person can become infected directly from a pigeon. The disease in pigeons proceeds with obvious clinical signs and few dare to take a sick pigeon in their hands. During the acute period of the disease, the pigeon walks in circles, convulsions, a staggering gait and refusal to feed are observed. Only 50% of pigeons survive the acute stage. In surviving pigeons, toxoplasmosis passes into a chronic stage with periodic release of pathogens into the external environment through litter.

A chronically ill pigeon carries the disease itself and can serve as a food source for other vectors: blood-sucking parasites. Ticks and bedbugs also carry Toxoplasma.

In humans, toxoplasmosis can be congenital or acquired. In adults, the acquired disease usually proceeds so easily that they are not even aware of it. But sometimes toxoplasmosis acquires an acute or chronic course.

Acute course may be;

• typhoid: high fever, enlarged liver and spleen;
• with CNS damage: headache, vomiting, convulsions, paralysis.

More often, a chronic form is observed with a slightly elevated temperature, headache and enlargement of the liver and lymph nodes. This form may also be accompanied by damage to other internal organs, eyes and the central nervous system.

The disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women and newborns. A child can get a congenital form if the mother is infected. Very often the fetus or newborn dies. In survivors, lesions of the central nervous system, various organs, and severe oligophrenia are observed.

Treatment of the disease is required for people with reduced immunity. Apply a course of antibiotics.

Newcastle disease

The only disease of pigeons transmitted to humans, the causative agent of which is a virus. Almost all birds are affected, but pheasants are the most susceptible. Pigeons can transmit Newcastle disease to humans through close contact. The virus causes mild conjunctivitis and flu-like symptoms in humans. This pigeon disease does not pose a danger to human health.

Preventive measures

Prevention of diseases carried by pigeons is to reduce contact with these birds and their waste products. Ideally, do not contact them at all:

• do not feed;
• do not pick up pigeons on the street;
• do not allow pigeons to nest on the balcony;
• keep pigeons away from window sills and balcony railings;
• Maintain personal hygiene and wash your hands frequently.

It is advisable to have a preventive conversation with neighbors who feed pigeons.

Conclusion

Pigeons that have bred in the city – carriers of diseases for humans can cause significant problems for the population. It is necessary not only to control the number of pigeons by the city authorities. Residents also need to take care of their children. You can’t feed pigeons. Reducing the food supply automatically reduces the number of pigeons without human effort.