Is Pigeon Poop Toxic? Can It Kill You by Spreading Diseases?

Pigeon poop dropping here and there is never a good sign for human habitation. 

However, is pigeon poop toxic? Can it kill you by spreading diseases? Well, yes, it can. Most of the diseases spread from pigeon poop directly affect the lungs. And when it affects the lungs, the chances of affecting other body parts increase. You can get a cough, heavy breathing, weakness, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, and whatnot.

Thus, the fatality of the disease sees no bounds. There are high possibilities it can cause a strong impact. Opening it up fully, we have sectioned everything as you scroll down, answering some questions as well.

Is Pigeon Poop Toxic?

Pigeon spreads most of the disease through their excretes. Most of their diseases are viral; once it enters your body, they’ll spread vitally.

The common ways pigeon spreads the disease is through their poop. They could be dropping them on the window or rooftop or the ground, pool, field, etc. And these are the areas you could be dwelling in regularly.

So, guess what? The germs and bacteria in the poop have higher chances of contaminating you as you pass over it. And this does spread serious diseases.

Recent studies regarding pigeon droppings confirms that bacterial diseases do spread from their poop that can lead to death. Slowly spreading in your body, the bacteria and virus affect your internal organs.

You’ll be feeling the impact slowly but surely.

Diseases From Pigeon Poop

We have found some of the most contagious diseases from poop to be vital and crucial. Once they attack you, they’ll make you pay a lot to get rid of them.

Here you have the following diseases that pigeons carry. They spread them through their droppings.

1. Psittacosis

Psittacosis is a common disease spread by birds, especially from domestic birds like a pigeon. It comes from a virus named C. psittaci. The disease is infectious and spreads from one person to others.

When anyone comes in contact with the virus, it shows the action within a certain day. Symptoms like high temperature, breathing problems, cough, quick fatigue, etc. develop.

Also, the body’s immune system plays a great role in tackling the disease. For a good immune system, the virus won’t be able to sustain for more than 7-10 days. 

Obviously, you should never underestimate the disease. Under any circumstances, medications and doctor recommendations should always be taken. Because this virus directly affects your lungs. And that could be a severe issue if not taken care of.

2. Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is one of the most common diseases spread by pigeon excretions to humans. Just like psittacosis, it is also an infectious disease, a flu-like one.

A common symptom is that you’ll have a severe cough. Besides that, your body temperature will increase; breathing might become heavy if the condition worsens. You will get tired more quickly than usual.

No need to worry much because the disease isn’t as deadly as the other ones. But, as the bacteria tends to stay inside your body for a long time, it can lead you to other diseases one after the other. Better just get rid of it quickly with proper medications and care.

3. Cryptococcosis

It is basically a feverish disease caused by the virus Cryptococcosis neoformans. The dangerous thing about the virus is that it can attack several parts of the body. Not only that, it shows its characteristics quickly.

You’ll be having serious fever if you catch cryptococcosis. Chest pain, muscle joint pain, headaches, dry cough, and other cold diseases have prevailed in our study of the disease. Old people or people with a weaker immune can have the deadliest impact.

And the most painful thing is the virus brings other diseases into the body. Many patients reported that they lost their normal eyesight for the virus. We have also seen people losing their usual activities and natural glow for diseases. 

Meningitis is one of the life-threatening blood poisonings which can occur because of cryptococcosis.

The best way to treat the disease is to see the doctor directly. If quick treatment is not taken, the virus damages the skin, kidneys, and other essential body parts. This prevailing brings death sometimes.

4. E. coli

E. coli bacteria are related to food poisoning. The disease comes from the bacteria Escherichia coli.

As it is a food-poisoning bacteria, it directly impacts your stomach. Your casual food-consuming capability decreases. Not only that, there is a high possibility of regular vomiting. The main thing is that your food habit will be entirely disrupted with usual fatigue, weakness, headache, etc.

The disease can be well-defended. Just some simple caring and the disease can be prevented. But it isn’t that weak. Because damaging your stomach means the associated parts are also at high risk. So, you better think of that and take proper measures quickly.

A similar kind of disease is Salmonellosis. The aim of both diseases is the same, i.e., to cause food poisoning. But, salmonellosis is relatively weaker and stays for some days only. But prevention should always be the primary intention and implemented as soon as possible.

Ways to Get Rid of Diseases from Pigeon Poops

Prevention is the best adaptation to get rid of diseases of pigeon poops. Because there are no ways you will stop it from happening, right? So better make a decent mapping to keep the virus away.

1. Netting

Netting for birds is a good way to keep the birds away. Not only it keeps them away from a boundary, but also it indicates their comfort zones for dwelling. And pigeons typically won’t drop unless they feel comfortable in a place.

If you keep a specific place netted for your pigeon or others, you could be making a good elevation and precaution to resist any kind of bird disease. And netting plays a good role for the cause.

2. Spikes

Generally used on balconies or in the garden. Mainly, it is a standing or resting stand that allows pigeons or birds to come and stand. But the main thing is it got spikes.

Once birds sit on them, they feel the spike and get hurt for it. Out of this, they get no other option but to fly away and never come back.

3. Wiring

It means making a boundary around the place with wires. No matter how high pigeons fly, they’ll always look on to sit on the wires. And once they do, they won’t be getting their desired comfort there; the thickness of the wire matters here.

Also, when you’re making a boundary of wires, it prevents birds from coming inside the territory. Yeah, it does; it’s their nature. So, there are fewer chances you’ll get any poop in your territory with the boundary setup.

4. Optical Gel

The optical gel is one of the best ways to prevent pigeons and other birds from coming to your territory. The gel has some characteristics. Its smell is not friendly, and the taste is absurd.

Once a pigeon tastes or feels it, it will never want to remain around the gel and tend to stay away. No chances of any bird or pigeon mean no chances of getting their poop.

If you’re interested in learning more about pigeon breeding and characteristics, you might find our articles on frillback pigeons and why pigeon eggs may not hatch helpful. Our article on frillback pigeons provides insights into the unique appearance and breeding of these fascinating birds, while our article on why pigeon eggs may not hatch explores the common reasons for failed hatchings and how to prevent them. Check out these articles to learn more about the diverse world of pigeons and how to successfully breed and care for them.

FAQs

A lot of questions are coming regarding diseases and preventive measures. Let’s hold up some of them; it will clear your perception.

Final Words

Pigeon poop is toxic and can cause the deadliest diseases for human beings. And, it is that easy to refrain from diseases; you just need to be cautious.

Most of these diseases are viral. So, if infected by any of the diseases, the prime task is to remain aloof from human contact as much as possible. At least keep your surroundings safe from the disease, the best you can at that moment. 

Also, this goes on to say again, never underestimate any kind of impact caused by the disease of pigeon dropping. Proper medications are a must here; no compromising this stuff, ever.