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Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species
Published on: November 7, 2013
Health hazards posed by feral pigeons.
1Institute of Anatomy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. daniel.haag@unibas.ch
The Journal of Infection
|April 7, 2004
Summary
Feral pigeons rarely transmit diseases to humans, with aerosol transmission being most common. However, immunocompromised individuals face a significantly higher risk of infection from pigeon-associated pathogens.
Area of Science:
- Zoonotic diseases
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) are ubiquitous in urban environments.
- Potential for disease transmission from pigeons to humans is a public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review documented disease transmissions from feral pigeons to humans.
- To identify common pathogens and transmission routes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted for epidemiological studies and transmission reports.
- Data were collected on documented cases between 1941 and 2003.
Main Results:
- 176 human illnesses linked to feral pigeons were reported between 1941-2003.
- Pigeons host 60 pathogens, but only 7 were transmitted; 99.4% via aerosol.
- Chlamydophila psittaci and Cryptococcus neoformans were most frequent pathogens.
Conclusions:
- Feral pigeons present a low, sporadic risk of disease transmission to the general human population.
- Individuals in close contact with pigeon nesting sites face minimal additional risk.
- Immunocompromised individuals are at substantially higher risk (nearly 1000-fold) for mycotic diseases from pigeon exposure.
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