“Can pigeons carry pneumonia?”
My mother suffered from severe pneumonia which the doctor suggested was due to pigeons since we live in a very urban area. I find this a little ridiculous that a pigeon can cause this disease. But is it possible for pigeons to carry pneumonia? And if so, why?
3 Answers
Yes both fungal infection and a typical pneumonia
Pigeons don’t carry pneumonia. They and many other birds can carry Chlamydia psittaci, a bacteria that when inhaled can cause pneumonia. The diagnosis is usually made by serology or DNA based PCR assays. The diagnosis cannot he made without laboratory testing. Tetracyclines and Erythromycins (Macrolides) are the usual treatment.
The spores of a fungus called Histoplasma are found in pigeon droppings.
Histoplasma spores when inhaled can cause a pneumonia called histoplasmosis with the fungus growing in the lung and may invade into other parts of the body. Larger inner city areas are typically attracting larger pigeon populations and hence with increased risk for the transmission of histoplasma from pigeons droppings to people.
Histoplasma spores when inhaled can cause a pneumonia called histoplasmosis with the fungus growing in the lung and may invade into other parts of the body. Larger inner city areas are typically attracting larger pigeon populations and hence with increased risk for the transmission of histoplasma from pigeons droppings to people.
