Posted By Robin Gonard
Pigeon mess can carry the risk of various diseases, Leptospirosis being one of them. Zoonosis (diseases transmitted by animals to humans) are generally reportable. Check the RIDDOR ACoP, it has a list of reportable diseases. You can wait until this is confirmed by the doctor before reporting. Some of them are also notifiable diseases (done by the hospital / GP).

Posted By jason telford
What about reporting the incident under the three day rule

Also clarification required
A disease is a lasting impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning and if listed reportable under RIDDOR

Or was this just a reaction and once it has run its course will go away (not reported under RIDDOR)

Posted By STEVE
Mark

I would wait on the xray report if it comes to that- you have 10days to report

Then on the report form highlight why you have waited for this time period

What I would ask or investigate is:

Does this individual have a low immunity system?

How long was it before the individual started to feel ill after disturbing the guano?

The reason I ask this is because pidgeon poo does have biological hazards associated to it.

Namely:

Chlamydia psittaci, one of several microorganisms in the genus Chlamydia


Chlamydia psittaci -also has bacterial make-up

Chlamydiosis - There are two like diseases which are both influenza type viruses.
The one most commonly found is transmitted by birds such as pigeons and is known as ornithosis. Although more like a flu-type disease, it should be noted that fatalities can occur just as with other influenza viruses.

The other is Psittacosis - This is the rarer more serious strain being closer to a typical pneumonia. This is also associated with birds from the parrot family

Acute allergic alveolitis(also known as Pigeon Fanciers Lung)-fever and chest tightness with a cough.

There are other diseases, bacteria, viruses, from the droppings.

Bird fouling supports many bacteria and fungal spores many of these being transmittable to humans

Fouling also supports infestations of flying and biting insects and mites, which are, in many instances, vectors of human disease.

The WHO are raising concerns with the new endemic Avain Flu- the concentration is on chickens , but because this virus can take make forms and show many different symptons it is causing many problems.

I dont want to frighten you with this info, but if the worst case scenario was diagnosed then Avain chlamydiosis is reportable under RIDDOR (biological agent) also under heading of Zoonoses(diseases of animals transmissible to man).

There is a incubation period of around 10days for symptoms to show(flu-like), so had the person been in this area before the day they informed you the guano had been disturbed.

After many years of decontaminating sites of this hazard, it is surprising how many look upon pidgoen poo as a nothing problem, due to everyone knowing that persons keep and breed pidgeons.

But what I will tell you is that on a recent visit to London, Ididnt see vendors selling nuts/food to attract pidgeons into populated areas any more.

I would wait and see what happens, once the individual had told doctor about the pidgeon poo he would have no choice but to recommend an x-ray after a period of time, if medication didnt work

For accurate diagnosis of psittacosis, a doctor must know that the person has been exposed to birds and that the suspected birds are infected with Chlamydia psittaci.

Laboratory examinations can identify the organism and detect the signs of infection.

Patients who develop psittacosis require treatment with specific drugs.
The disease is very responsive to tetracycline but is resistant to penicillin

Hope this explains things a little bit more, if need any more info please feel free to email direct

Steve