NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is witnessing a worrying rise in cases of fibrotic lung disease, hypersensitivity, pneumonitis or bird breeder’s lungs due to the city’s exploding pigeon population.
People from across the city are being diagnosed with acute lung damage. Srinivas Loya, a resident of Koti, was diagnosed as “suffering from pulmonary fibrosis as a result of exposure to pigeons.”
Srinivas resides in an area near the Gokul Chat rear gate. Doctors advised him to avoid exposure to pigeons completely and to relocate himself from the present address.
“My father had a similar medical problem and he died due to prolonged, debilitating lung disease caused by exposure to pigeons and was oxygen dependent. Now I am oxygen dependent. For 2.5 hours in the morning and in the evening, I have to use oxygen. If tests are done in my community, more than half of them would be found to be having my problem. I have been residing here in my own house for years now and cannot afford to move out,” Srinivas said.
‘The Pioneer’ accessed Srinivas’ medical report which clearly mentioned pigeons as the cause of infection.
Interestingly, there are no rules for pigeon control. New MLA Quarters, Koti, Tolichowki and KBR Park are among the areas where the pigeon population is increasing.
Harish Daga, an activist said, “I personally know four people who were affected by the pigeon menace and died. We have met many officials and they don’t have an answer to this problem. There is no law to control the population of pigeons. When we contacted civic, health and forest officials they said that this is a unique problem and will have to be discussed. How many people must die before the government acts on this issue? Many people feed pigeons without knowing the consequences. This must be stopped.”
GHMC officials caught pigeons and dumped them in forests during the restoration of the MJ market.
Pigeons cause various lung diseases. Some of the most common lung ailments caused by pigeons are bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), and fungal infections like histoplasmosis, aspergillosis and cryptococcosis.
Dr G. Nalini, a city-based pulmonologist and allergy specialist said, “It has become very common. Pigeon-linked asthma, fungal pneumonia, allergic rhinitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis have become common. The diseases associated with pigeon droppings are cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis and psittacosis. Pigeons, feathers and their droppings that contain protein harbour certain organisms and mites. When inhaled those with weak immunity are immediately affected. Pigeons themselves can host many harmful pathogens and substances that can aggravate existing medical problems.”
In fact, in some cases, officials and doctors themselves have acknowledged that they have been affected by allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis due to the exploding pigeon population.
