Pigeons, commonly found in the UK, can carry several diseases, including viral encephalitis, E. coli, salmonella, and cryptococcal meningitis, which can pose health risks to humans, particularly when in contact with their droppings. Effective measures, such as bird netting, are available to prevent pigeon nesting without harming them, as they are a protected species. It's important to maintain cleanliness and awareness when in proximity to pigeons to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

1. 4 Common Diseases Pigeons
Carry

2. Introduction
• Pigeons are seen everywhere in the UK and many people assume
that they are fairly harmless. Whilst they’re certainly not aggressive,
they can certainly be a problem when grouping and nesting where
they’re not wanted.
• In addition to making a property look unsightly, they also carry
diseases, which can very easily be spread through their droppings.
Below are 4 of the most common diseases that pigeons are known
to carry.

3. 1. Viral Encephalitis
• Also known as West Nile virus, Viral Encephalitis can be very
dangerous when spread to humans and can cause nervous system
damage and even death. The way it is transmitted to humans is
through mosquito bites. The mosquito will bite an infected bird and
then transmit the disease when it bites a person.
• Luckily mosquitos are very rare in the UK so the chances of
contracting the virus in this way are extremely low. However you
should always be aware of this when travelling abroad to countries
where mosquitos are commonplace.

4. 2. E Coli
• E Coli is often associated with undercooked meat but it’s just as
likely that you’ll contract it by coming into contact with pigeon
droppings. To help avoid this risk of getting E Coli, you should make
sure that your wash your hands thoroughly whenever you’ve spent
time in an environment where there was a lot of pigeons around.

5. 3. Salmonella
• Salmonella is another illness that’s commonly linked with food but
can also be spread by pigeons. Along with Listeria, Salmonella is a
very dangerous to people, especially pregnant women, so you
should always ensure that you practice a high degree of cleanliness
when you’ve been around pigeons in any setting.

6. 4. Cryptococcal Meningitis
• This form of pigeon-borne meningitis is extremely dangerous to
people and can easily result in severe consequences such as
blindness and death.

7. Getting rid of pigeons
• Now that you’re aware of the types of diseases that pigeons can carry, you’ll
almost certainly want to ensure that you don’t’ have any grouping or nesting
on your property. Pigeon infestations are very common in the UK, especially
in large cities, but luckily there are effective solutions available to get rid of
them and make sure they don’t appear again.
• It’s important to note that even if you think of pigeons as being vermin, it’s
still not a good idea to kill or harm them in any way. This is because they’re
a protected species in the UK, which means causing them harm could land
you in a lot of trouble if you’re caught.
• Thankfully, there are means of getting rid of pigeons without resorting to
violence. Bird netting is one of the most common pigeon control solutions
and works by making it impossible for any type of bird from being able to
land and perch where it’s placed.
• Bird netting can be installed by any good bird control company and will
provide you with a long-lasting solution to keep your property completely
free of pigeons or any other type of birds, such as seagulls.

8. Contact us
Total Bird Control
60 Windsor Street
London
SW19 2RR
Tel: 0208 226 4012
Log on : www.totalbirdcontrol.co.uk
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