Pigeons are one of the few animals that have managed to adapt to the urban environment, but in some localities they have become a problem.
Pigeons, turtledoves and related forms are a family of birds of the order Columbiformes, which represent about 322 species and are distributed throughout the world, except Antarctica and the Arctic.
Symbolic meaning of positive or benign connotations is generally abrogated in most cultures.
The book of Genesis relates that the patriarch Noah let go of a dove from the ark after the Universal Flood to try to find dry land, and that it returned with an olive branch in its beak.
In the same way, the New Testament narrates that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven with the appearance of a dove on Jesus Christ, at the moment in which he was baptized.
Currently the representation of a white dove with an olive branch in its beak is a symbol of peace and purity in Western societies.
Pigeons are birds endowed with great intelligence to the point that they would pass the mirror test, by which each individual would recognize himself; They also know how to differentiate human beings who help them from those who attack them, they are even capable of distinguishing different graphs and have some understanding of the difference between such graphs.
Apart from having a great sense of orientation, it is one of the birds that flies the fastest, being able to reach 56 km / h, in addition the vision of its eyes approaches 340 degrees, and they have a divided focus: the upper half sees at great distances, and the lower close-up details, that is why they move their head so jerkily and continuously, since they cannot move their eyes, they move their head forward when walking to maintain stability and not lose visual focus.
These birds are monogamous, with a high reproductive rate, where their eggs are usually incubated by both sexes and whose young, shortly after they are ready to fly, leave the nest.
Pigeons are one of the few animals that have managed to adapt to the urban environment, but in some localities they have become a problem, having to take measures due to the corrosive depositions that seriously deteriorate artistic and architectural heritage.
These birds usually use their own nest to deposit their droppings, and it is estimated that each of them can produce about fourteen kilos of fecal matter per year.
Beyond the deterioration of the physical infrastructure, what is really worrisome are the diseases that pigeons transmit to humans, pathologies that can have their origin in direct contact with them, their feathers or with their contaminated excrement or their inhalation once dry in the form of powder, the most frequent being:
1. Histoplasmosis: Caused by inhaling the spores of a fungus (Histoplasma capsulatum) often present in the droppings of these birds and bats. Respiratory disease that manifests with lung damage accompanied by chills, fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, and chest pain. The disease is not transmitted from person to person.
2. Cryptococcosis: It is the most frequent, hence it is known as pigeon disease; fungal infection caused by inhaling a fungus (Cryptoccoccus neoformans) that is present in their droppings. The symptoms it produces are those of pneumonia, meningitis, compromise of the skin, bones and organs. If not treated promptly, it can leave significant sequelae or be fatal.
3. Psittacosis: Psittacosis, known as “parrot fever” is a disease transmitted by pigeons, typical of parrots, parakeets and other domestic birds. The route of infection is mainly airborne. Chlamydia psittaci is the bacteria responsible for transmitting this infection to humans.
Not only contaminated stools cause this pathology, but also nasal secretions, tissues and feathers.
Bacteria present in bird droppings become airborne and can be inhaled by people. Symptoms of psittacosis are fatigue, headache, rashes, and chills. In the most severe cases it can cause pneumonia.
The areas where there is a high population of birds are those at greatest risk, hence the need to control their density in urban areas. One way to prevent diseases transmitted by pigeons is to clean the areas where there is presence of feces with plenty of water, thus avoiding exposure to dust.
The breeding of pigeons in urban areas should be avoided as much as possible and in those it is essential to carry out the adequate cleaning of the sites to prevent the dissemination in the feces. For a bird owner, prevention includes hygiene, sanitation, and regular consultation with the vet.
Dra. Fanny Quevedo
Occupational Physician
Health Management Specialist.
[email protected]
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