PIGEONS, AN URBAN PATHOGENIC PROBLEM?

Abstract

The pigeon is a “natural” animal inserted into the artificial environment of cities, who provides a new perspective over the dichotomic concepts of Nature and Culture, traditionally understood as mutually exclusive. Ancient Egyptians began using at least 4000 years ago. The abundance of pigeons is positively related to town's area and population, and independent of the surrounding landscape type. The high densities of this urban exploiter species, alongside people in cities provide opportunity for prolonged and frequent contact between humans and animals. This has important consequences, and the greatest number of human–pigeons conflicts arises in larger towns. People have many casual interactions with pigeons that range from feeding in public parks to handling tamed birds nesting on windowsills. They are both reservoirs and horizontal and vertical vectors of infectious diseases, as well as a source of antigens that provoke allergic diseases. Solving the problem of these diseases is a modern and important topic to debate and research. Doing so sustainably should be possible and investigations in this area are necessary for the public safety and health of all, both humans and pigeons alike. This study review some diseases and topics concerning pigeons and their zoonoses in the urban environment.