Listen to Story Pigeons are a common sight on the balcony of almost every Indian house. In many households, feeding pigeons is a common practice, often seen as an act of kindness or a spiritual offering. However, this well-meaning gesture can inadvertently lead to health risks, particularly related to lung diseases caused by pigeon droppings.
In 2023, a 42-year-old woman from Jarod village in Vadodara district of Gujarat underwent a lung transplant at a city hospital for a condition caused by pigeon droppings. The hospital where she was treated called for maintaining a clean environment as long-term exposure to pigeon feces, dust, and feathers can lead to irreversible lung damage, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and chronic respiratory failure. Over time, pigeon populations can grow in areas where they are regularly fed, increasing the accumulation of droppings and the associated health hazards.
Pigeon populations can grow in areas where they are regularly fed, increasing the accumulation of droppings and the associated health hazards. (Photo: PTI) In fact, exposure to these droppings can lead to serious respiratory conditions due to the pathogens they harbor. HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS AND OTHER HEALTH RISKS Pigeon droppings are laced with fungi, which if inhaled for some time, can affect the immune system.
Various studies have shown that pigeon feces can contain harmful fungi such as cryptococcus and histoplasma, which thrive in droppings and can be released into the air as.
