3 diseases you could suffer from by feeding birds

If you love to feed the birds, here is a warning for you. Despite all the good that the practice can do, there are dangers attached to it especially to your health. Doctors have warned that while feeding the birds has become a fad in most cities, the practice can lead to some serious infections,that could very well kill you.

Sounds improbable doesn't it? Well, according to Dr Vivek Nangia, respiratory medicine head at Fortis Healthcare, 'The exposure to accumulations of bird droppings, especially that of pigeons can cause an allergic reaction called the 'Bird Fancier's disease' an acute respiratory infection affecting the lungs of an individual. BFL is a disease that is characterised by dry cough, breathlessness and fatigue and could also lead to fever.'

Feeding pigeons involves throwing bird feed or food in the areas that they normally feed. Besides dirtying the place, the flocks of flapping pigeons can cause nuisance and pose health concerns as well.

Dr Manav Manchanda, respiratory medicine expert at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, said that caution should be exercised while feeding pigeons as sometimes the infection from droppings can turn as severe as pneumonia. 'People can also get fungal infections like histoplasmosis and cryptoccosis that spreads from old and dry droppings. Histoplasmosis is transmitted to humans by airborne fungus spores from soil contaminated by pigeon droppings. While cryptoccosis is typically found in accumulations of droppings around roosting and nesting sites,' he said.

If the complicated sounding names of the diseases have not put you off yet, here are some quick facts about the conditions:

Bird Fancier's disease (BFL):

This is a condition that is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonia, and is caused due to bird droppings and bird feathers especially those of pigeons.

The disease causes an inflammation of the alveoli (tiny air sacs that help in exchange of oxygen with the body) and leads to breathlessness and formation of granulomas (inflammation) in the lungs.

The most astonishing fact about this disease is that its symptoms mimic those of asthma and other allergic respiratory diseases that often lead to it being misdiagnosed. Read more about asthma and allergies.

What are its symptoms?

The symptoms of this condition usually appear within four to six hours, they are:

Breathlessness
Chills
Fever
Dry cough, and
Chest discomfort

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis of this condition is fairly complex as it is often confused with other common diseases. But there is one distinguishing characteristic of this condition on testing all the patient's tests will often show normal results.

To be diagnosed accurately a patient will have to undergo a CT scan and X-ray in which the granulomas will be seen clearly.

Treatment options:

Once diagnosed a patient is usually prescribed steroidal inhalers to help them breathe better and reduce the scarring that is usually formed in the lungs. For patients who are old and are at risk of losing bone density a doctor may also prescribe medication to reduce the amount of bone loss (this is mainly because steroids tend to cause excessive leeching of calcium and eventually a critical loss in bone density).

A patient will also have to get regular lung function tests to check for their rate of improvement. A major part of the treatment also depends on staying away from further exposure to bird droppings.

Know the complications:

If left untreated this condition quickly progresses to a more complicated form where the patient suffers from anorexia, weight loss and extreme fatigue. As the condition worsens it leads to interstitial fibrosis (formation of fibrous particles in the alveoli) which eventually causes irreversible scarring of the lungs. This in turn, causes a lack of air entering and exiting the lungs, leaving the patient's body devoid of fresh oxygen. In some cases this condition might even be fatal. Read more about what constant fatigue could mean.

Histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis:

Both these conditions are caused due to the inhalation of the spores of the causative fungi, usually found in dry bird droppings and can be extremely damaging to a person's health. Both the conditions show the same symptoms as Birds Fancier's disease, save for the fact that patients suffering from histoplasmosis can show symptoms like mouth ulcers and joint pain as well.

While cryptococcosis can be fatal, especially in those with weak immune systems, histoplasmosis is does not cause death unless it is left untreated.

The diagnosis for both is the same as in the case of Bird's Francier's disease, and the treatment involves anti-fungal medication that will need to be taken for a long period of time.

Tips to prevent infection:

Doctors advise that the droppings should be cleaned immediately, and those people cleaning it should take preventive measures. Moreover, the droppings should be collected in garbage bags and disposed.

'People with weak immune system are more prone to get affected by infections from the birds. So they should wear masks and moisten the droppings with a light mist of water to keep spores from becoming airborne and keep them wet,' Manchanda said.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.

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With inputs from IANS

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