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Histoplasmosis and Hot Dry Attics

Histoplasmosis and Hot Dry Attics

Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus that resides in bat droppings and areas contaminated by bird excrement. The fungus usually grows in moist nutrient environments. So the question is does the fungus survive in bat guano in hot dry attics? Well according to Bartlett et al. (1982) the answer is simply, “Yes.” Attics, even hot dry attics, with active bat infestations can cause people exposed to the droppings/fungal spores to contract histoplasmosis.

Source:

Bartlett, P. C., Vonbehren, L. A., Tewari, R. P., Martin, R. J., Eagleton, L., Isaac, M. J., & Kulkarni, P. S. (1982). Bats in the Belfry: An Outbreak of Histoplasmosis. American Journal of Public Health, 72(12), 1369-1372 available at http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.72.12.1369

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. He has written the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. Reach him at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Foot-long worms infecting cats in the United States

Foot-long worms are infecting cats in the United States

Free-range house cats a source of zoonotic disease, such as parasitic worms. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Free-range house cats a source of zoonotic disease, such as parasitic worms. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Readers know that free-range house cats not only kill millions of native wildlife each year in the U.S. but also pose serious disease issues to the environment and people. Typically, these disease threats focused on rabies and toxoplasmosis. Now it appears that worms, foot-long worms, are yet another issue. To learn more visit the research that was done at Cornell University Cornell University Original Study.

I can only imagine how the free-range cat lobby will respond to this latest evidence regarding the potential presence of foot-long worms.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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How Animal Rights Activists Distort The Facts

How Animal Rights Activists Distort the Facts

One of the key strategies used by animal rights activists is to distort the role of data in an argument. Not that they are alone in this error, as it is a common technique in our politicized speech.

For example, in a recent article that included some comments from me, I stated that homeowners must be concerned about bats inside their house because of the risk of rabies. The risk is not from the presence in the attic but in the risk of their entering the living space. My comment was not meant to cause panic or “fear mongering” as one of my critics argued, but simply to emphasize the rabies exposure protocols of the state of Nebraska (Consult the NebGuide on Bats which delves into this more deeply).  I agree that a longer piece would have made this important distinction more apparent, but the fact is I was correct in my comments.

Unfortunately, my critic rather than clarifying my comments simply states that rabies amongst bats is very low. My critic is absolutely correct. But my point wasn’t to discuss the statistical likelihood of being exposed to a rabid bat but to the fact that a bat in your home raises the possibility of being exposed to rabies.

Bat Rabies in Nebraska

My comments are not without evidence.  Visit http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/srd/rabies.htm and you will see the data on the number of positive rabies cases in Nebraska. The year isn’t even over and we have already had 9 cases of rabid bats. These aren’t speculative positives, but actual ones. Now I don’t know how many bats were tested in the state. But the number doesn’t matter to the persons who had to have a bat sent in for testing. Rabies is the like the lottery. It is hard to win, but if you do and don’t get treatment you die.

Regrettably, animal rights protest industry activists (not all of them but many in the rank and file) simply want to protect animals at all costs even if doing so puts lives at risk. I think that is disrespectful to the facts and to the dignity of humans.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest book is the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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The Indiana Wildlife Disease News

The Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Logo for the United States Animal and Plant He...
Logo for the United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, part of the Department of Agriculture. For more information, see the PDF usage guide. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wildlife control operators know that wildlife carry diseases that can be dangerous to their well-being and to that of their customers. However, information to improve their knowledge about those diseases is sometimes difficult to come by. Dr. Caudell of the USDA – APHIS – Wildlife Services is a disease specialist stationed in Indiana. One of his tasks is publishing a newsletter to inform readers about zoonotics and summarize recent findings concerning outbreaks.The newsletter is written for the public so technical jargon is kept to a minimum. You don’t have to worry about slogging through complex statistical analysis or genetic sequence information to get the information that will help you in your business. The newsletter can be read in just a few minutes and is laid out for easy reading.  Don’t be misled by the title. Though the emphasis is on diseases affecting that state, the information is applicable elsewhere.

While Wildlife Services is severely criticized by many wildlife control operators, Dr. Caudell’s publication should be one instance that brings praise. This newsletter is available to anyone at no charge. It is only available in digital format so you will need Adobe Acrobat reader (available free from Adobe.com)  in order to open the file. It is published about four times a year and is well worth receiving.

To subscribe, send an e-mail to jcaudell@aphis.usda.gov. If you’re worried about getting spammed, you can just as easily end your subscription by e-mailing the same address.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest book is the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. He can be contacted at stephenvantassel at Hotmail dot com.

 Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included.

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Pigeon Feces and Allergies

Pigeon Feces and Allergies

A pair of white King pigeons on display at a s...
Pigeon breeders can contract Pigeon Breeders Lung, an allergic reaction that affects their respiratory system. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has been long known that pigeon breeders can develop an allergic condition known as Pigeon Breeders Lung. This condition occurs when the body is exposed to pigeon feces, feathers, etc. over a long period of time.  The lungs of the breeder become inflamed causing breathing issues (technical term is allergic alveolitis). Pigeon Breeders Lung is not to be confused with histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis, also frequently infects the lungs, but is caused by a fungus.

How Dangerous Are Pigeon Droppings?

Curtis, L. and fellow researchers wondered whether pigeon droppings and presence at a building could affect people inside the building. The study evaluated air and dust samples of (1) a pigeon infested three-story public high School in Chicago; (2) pigeon bedding and house dust from two Illinois pigeon fanciers; (3) two homes with indoor parakeets/cockateels or canaries; (4) samples from two Illinois hospitals and (5) samples from 15 other Illinois homes without indoor birds.

The Results

Researchers found that students were tracking in pigeon feces from the entrance where pigeons were roosting on the ledges above the door. The levels of allergenic material was significant (actually higher than pigeon bedding). Researchers suggest that just as long-term exposure to cockroaches and mice can lead to allergic conditions in senstive individuals, so also can long term exposure to pigeon droppings. They found that birds do not have to be inside a structure for the allergenic material to enter.

Bottom Line

Long term exposure to pigeon droppings can lead to people exhibiting allergic reactions to pigeon proteins.

If you would like to learn more read Curtis, L. et al. 2002. Pigeon allergens in indoor environments: a preliminary study. Allergy.  57:7(July):627–631.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest book is the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. He can be contacted at stephenvantassel at Hotmail dot com.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant. Text may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website url is included. Notification is appreciated.

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