Pigeon poop and human illness

[roninthailand]

I live in Chonburi and I do not know who is responsible for repairing neighboring buildings that have some construction defects and have allowed pigeons to nest in the "attic" spaces, which poses a serious health threat to the inhabitants....as pigeon poop is a nutritional soup for the fungi that cause histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis in humans....and if left untreated and undiagnosed can result in DEATH.   The pigeon poop dries out and becomes microscopic dust containing the spores of whatever fungi is in it.   This has caused many thousands to seek medical attention worldwide but lab tests are sophisticated and expensive,  so people usually die from what is thought to be pneumonia  caused by other pathogens.  The early symptoms are flu-like....cough, fever, headache and can even mimic Covid....just a slower onset.  SO IN THESE CRAZY TIMES...WE MUST ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBLE CAUSES OF AIRBORNE ILLNESSES.....which in this case involves just repairing some openings in the soffits of the buildings in my community to prevent the pigeons from nesting inside structures that are meant for humans and not for birds.  And YES...I am a US trained doctor, semi-retired, married to a Thai national, and I paid out of my own pocket to repair the building that I reside in.  I do not know who owns the neighboring buildings and I have no authority to ask anyone to do anything...but I feel obligated to TRY to do something as I took an oath many years ago to help people.   

[LoongFred]

34 minutes ago, roninthailand said:

I live in Chonburi and I do not know who is responsible for repairing neighboring buildings that have some construction defects and have allowed pigeons to nest in the "attic" spaces, which poses a serious health threat to the inhabitants....as pigeon poop is a nutritional soup for the fungi that cause histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis in humans....and if left untreated and undiagnosed can result in DEATH.   The pigeon poop dries out and becomes microscopic dust containing the spores of whatever fungi is in it.   This has caused many thousands to seek medical attention worldwide but lab tests are sophisticated and expensive,  so people usually die from what is thought to be pneumonia  caused by other pathogens.  The early symptoms are flu-like....cough, fever, headache and can even mimic Covid....just a slower onset.  SO IN THESE CRAZY TIMES...WE MUST ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBLE CAUSES OF AIRBORNE ILLNESSES.....which in this case involves just repairing some openings in the soffits of the buildings in my community to prevent the pigeons from nesting inside structures that are meant for humans and not for birds.  And YES...I am a US trained doctor, semi-retired, married to a Thai national, and I paid out of my own pocket to repair the building that I reside in.  I do not know who owns the neighboring buildings and I have no authority to ask anyone to do anything...but I feel obligated to TRY to do something as I took an oath many years ago to help people.   

Pigeons are also a problem in the US and Europe.  If you're really worried a face mask may help. Talk to a Thai doctor at the government hospital about testing. Laboratory testing is really good here. 

Suggest going to Sriracha hospital.

[LoongFred]

11 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Pigeons are also a problem in the US and Europe.  If you're really worried a face mask may help. Talk to a Thai doctor at the government hospital about testing. Laboratory testing is really good here. 

Suggest going to Sriracha hospital.

I do not know your specification, but you might be interested in brushing up on Tropical Diseases. There is a course taught in English at Mahidol University for MDs. It's called DTMH (6months)

[NCC1701A]

destroy all pigeons.

[Rain]

52 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

destroy all pigeons.

Good call, as they were mysteriously planted here by extraterrestrials - 

 

[roninthailand]

Thanks LoongFred for the info and yes, pigeons are a problem every where.  I am not worried about myself as I have already fixed the problem with my building.....I am worried for my neighbors that DO NOT realize the time bomb that is ticking above them as I have seen cases like this in the past and about one half cm thick of pigeon poop will carpet the other side of their ceiling (probably already exists) in a short time and then only a matter of time as to when the microscopic particles of pigeon poop finds its way into the air that the inhabitants breath in......then those airborne spores will reproduce in their lungs, causing a slight cough, low grade fever and eventually in time (many months later) death if not diagnosed quickly and treated with the proper anti-fungal medications.....and complete remission is usually impossible causing those poor souls to take medication for the rest of their lives....just to be able to breath and oxygenate their blood to a sustainable level.  All of my neighbors are Thai nationals and I cannot express to them the danger that lurks so close to them, and most of them are renters...not owners...so making their landlords understand the problem and spending a few THB to fix the problem is almost impossible.  Is there any government agency that can look into this.....and I know that Covid has taken up every ones time so pigeon poop is the least of concern.   Please someone alert the proper authorities and they can email me at roninvegas@gmail.com to get the location of the buildings in question. 

[GMoney2312]

18 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

destroy all pigeons.

They make a great soup...

[thai3]

18 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

destroy all pigeons.

Along with the soi dogs and cats!

[NCC1701A]

6 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Along with the soi dogs and cats!

my cat says "lets not get carried away". 

 

[BainaiThai]

Catsup and Hot Dogs?

[Convert54]

35 minutes ago, roninthailand said:

Thanks LoongFred for the info and yes, pigeons are a problem every where.  I am not worried about myself as I have already fixed the problem with my building.....I am worried for my neighbors that DO NOT realize the time bomb that is ticking above them as I have seen cases like this in the past and about one half cm thick of pigeon poop will carpet the other side of their ceiling (probably already exists) in a short time and then only a matter of time as to when the microscopic particles of pigeon poop finds its way into the air that the inhabitants breath in......then those airborne spores will reproduce in their lungs, causing a slight cough, low grade fever and eventually in time (many months later) death if not diagnosed quickly and treated with the proper anti-fungal medications.....and complete remission is usually impossible causing those poor souls to take medication for the rest of their lives....just to be able to breath and oxygenate their blood to a sustainable level.  All of my neighbors are Thai nationals and I cannot express to them the danger that lurks so close to them, and most of them are renters...not owners...so making their landlords understand the problem and spending a few THB to fix the problem is almost impossible.  Is there any government agency that can look into this.....and I know that Covid has taken up every ones time so pigeon poop is the least of concern.   Please someone alert the proper authorities and they can email me at roninvegas@gmail.com to get the location of the buildings in question. 

I believe many if not most Thai do consider pigeons to be "dirty" birds but as you say so many people are tenants and have little recourse to preventing pigeons from inhabiting not only roof spaces but balconies on elevated buildings. They are a problem on an international scale.

In Bangkok the BMA outlawed feeding them as some felt was a meritorious thing to do but probably has had little effect.

[HolyCowCm]

19 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

destroy all pigeons.

Yeah or catch them, clip their wings and drop them over the CCP HQ. Dirty little rats with wings. They are the same and trying to control the world.

[LoongFred]

1 hour ago, GMoney2312 said:

They make a great soup...

Make a market for pigeons dropping fertilizer.  Let your local neighbors know it's worth it's weight in gold. You won't get rid of the pigeons but their mess will be gone. 

On a serious note, make sure your ceiling is sealed.  Our ceilings are wood, but we have installation above. If your ceiling has gaps bird poop in the attic space could be a problem.

 

[Vince]

On 10/9/2021 at 12:34 AM, roninthailand said:

I live in Chonburi and I do not know who is responsible for repairing neighboring buildings that have some construction defects and have allowed pigeons to nest in the "attic" spaces, which poses a serious health threat to the inhabitants....as pigeon poop is a nutritional soup for the fungi that cause histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis in humans....and if left untreated and undiagnosed can result in DEATH.   The pigeon poop dries out and becomes microscopic dust containing the spores of whatever fungi is in it.   This has caused many thousands to seek medical attention worldwide but lab tests are sophisticated and expensive,  so people usually die from what is thought to be pneumonia  caused by other pathogens.  The early symptoms are flu-like....cough, fever, headache and can even mimic Covid....just a slower onset.  SO IN THESE CRAZY TIMES...WE MUST ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBLE CAUSES OF AIRBORNE ILLNESSES.....which in this case involves just repairing some openings in the soffits of the buildings in my community to prevent the pigeons from nesting inside structures that are meant for humans and not for birds.  And YES...I am a US trained doctor, semi-retired, married to a Thai national, and I paid out of my own pocket to repair the building that I reside in.  I do not know who owns the neighboring buildings and I have no authority to ask anyone to do anything...but I feel obligated to TRY to do something as I took an oath many years ago to help people.   

Good for you. It seems most Doctors in the US have taken an oath to be as rich as possible, helping people is an afterthought.