World Health Organization Publishes Findings that Point to Indirect Spread of H5N1

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Reuters just published an article outlining a recent study on H5N1 (the avian flu) by the World Health Organization. Researchers noted that, "In one quarter or more of patients with influenza A (H5N1) virus infection, the source of exposure is unclear, and environment-to-human transmission remains possible...For some patients, the only identified risk factor was visiting a live-poultry market. It could be that small particles of virus-contaminated fluid stuck to surfaces, they said. Or perhaps fertilizer made from infected bird feces somehow carried the virus into people's noses or mouths."

This has implications beyond the realm of domestic birds. This means that wild migratory birds can spread bird flu through their droppings. The research points to the idea that H5N1 is spread in the same way as histoplasmosis or cryptococcosis (particle of fecal matter can be inhaled and introduced to the body through mucus membranes).

Hopefully this discovery will spur a more proactive approach to containing the spread of bird flu. I have noticed that whenever an outbreak of bird flu appears, people react with a protective zone which limits interactions with birds. Wouldn't it be more helpful to utilize exclusion technologies before the outbreak in order to prevent it from happening? Individuals who work with domestic birds should take this information to heart and seriously consider a strategy for keeping their birds safe from bird flu. This might also be the time for the general public to consider that in the past, our most devastating influenza outbreaks affected people with the strongest immune systems by using the mechanisms of the immune system to actually spread the virus and cause permanent damage to tissues.

Avian Bird Flu is Scary but Birds are Spreading other Diseases to Humans Now!

More than 60 transmissible diseases (some of which are fatal) are associated with geese, pigeons, starlings and house sparrows. For example:

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal. It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings.

Candidiasis is a yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons. The disease affects the skin, the mouth, the respiratory system, the intestines and the urogenital tract, especially the vagina. It is a growing problem for women, causing itching, pain and discharge.

Cryptococcosis is caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings. The illness often begins as a pulmonary disease and may later affect the central nervous system. Since attics, cupolas, ledges, schools, offices, warehouses, mills, barns, park buildings, signs, etc. are typical roosting and nesting sites, the fungus is apt to found in these areas.

St. Louis Encephalitis, an inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headache and fever. It may even result in paralysis, coma or death. St. Louis encephalitis occurs in all age groups, but is especially fatal to persons over age 60. The disease is spread by mosquitoes which have fed on infected house sparrow, pigeons and house finches carrying the Group B virus responsible for St. Louis encephalitis.

Salmonellosis often occurs as "food poisoning" and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows. The disease bacteria are found in bird droppings; dust from droppings can be sucked through ventilators and air conditioners, contaminating food and cooking surfaces in restaurants, homes and food processing plants.

E.coli. Cattle carry E. coli 0157:H7. When birds peck on cow manure, the E. coli go right through the birds and the bird droppings can land on or in a food or water supply.

Besides being direct carriers of disease, nuisance birds are frequently associated with over 50 kinds of ectoparasites, which can work their way throughout structures to infest and bite humans. About two-thirds of these pests may be detrimental to the general health and well-being of humans and domestic animals. The rest are considered nuisance or incidental pests. A few examples of ectoparasites include:

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) may consume up to five times their own weight in blood drawn from hosts which include humans and some domestic animals. In any extreme condition, victims may become weak and anemic. Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are known to carry bed bugs.

Chicken mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are known carriers of encephalitis and may also cause fowl mite dermatitis and acariasis. While they subsist on blood drawn from a variety of birds, they may also attack humans. They have been found on pigeons, starlings and house sparrows.

Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), perhaps the most common beetle parasites of people in the United States, live in pigeon nests. It is found in grain or grain products, often winding up in breakfast cereals, and may cause intestinal canthariasis and hymenolespiasis.

West Nile Virus while West Nile is technically not transmitted to humans from birds, humans can get infected by the bite of a mosquito who has bitten an infected bird. The obvious lesson is that the fewer birds there are in any given area, the better. This translates into a smaller chance of an infected bird in that area, a smaller chance of a mosquito biting an infected bird and then biting a human.