Sludge Watch ==> Birds and their Dropping Can Carry Over 60 Diseases

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

This article brings home the risks of sludge land application,  open air 
composting, and stockpiling of sludges and sludge runoff.

  I have seen many of Jim Poushinsky's photos of Canada geese pecking around 
fresh sludged  farmlands.  Their sludge-pathogenated poop will be dropped in 
neighboring yards, clotheslines, children's playgrounds etc.  These 'vector' 
(transmission of disease by animal transport) can move the sludge-bourne 
pathogens far from the original site.  Remember, too, the research that says 
that this is happening. Canada geese, for example are carrying antibiotic 
resistant bacteria - just the thing you'd find in sewage sludge.

PS..Dear EPA:  just when are you going to do the research on the role of 
sludge in confering antibiotic resistance and distributing resistant 
pathogens into the environment?  The National Academy of Science told you 
this work is needed and you haven't even started!

  EPA finds evidence that sludge digestion isn't really killing off pathogen 
indicators but is just rendering them non detectable by the antique testing 
mechanisms used to test sludge.  What does EPA do?  Nada.

Mad Cow infectious prions in sludge.  What does EPA do? Nada.
Public complaints that they are being made seriously ill from sludge. What 
does EPA do? Nada

They think that if they don't investigate the disease transmission from 
sewage sludge they can continue to tell the public that they have no 
documented evidence of illness.  Because they refuse to do any 
documentation.



Sludgewatch Word of the Day: VECTOR
"Pathology. An organism, such as a mosquito or tick, that carries 
disease-causing microorganisms from one host to another.
Genetics. A bacteriophage, plasmid, or other agent that transfers genetic 
material from one cell to another."


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Birds And Their Droppings Can Carry Over 60 Diseases
25 Jan 2007

Unfortunately, there's more than just bird flu to be worried about. There 
are over 60 other diseases that birds and their droppings can carry. The 
problem is especially worrisome in residential areas, as many of them are 
airborne and can be transferred to humans just by being around droppings.

  Chicken farms can be fairly easily secured. With a combination of visual 
scare devices, sonic distress call emitters, ultrasonic disrupters and roost 
inhibitors other birds shouldn't be a problem. If farmers just took this 
preventative action it could help contain the bird flu outbreak a good deal.

Examples of transmissible bird diseases associated with pigeons, geese, 
starling and house sparrows:

-- 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.




www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61646