Pigeons can be a health risk for patients as a source of infection, they also cause damage to hospital buildings. The installation of anti-pigeon nets this year cost the hospital 820,000 crowns without tax, hospital spokeswoman Hana Kopalová informed in a press release today.
“Urban populations of pigeons are a significant source of various allergens for humans and may be involved in the transmission of some diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans. For example, the causative agent of salmonellosis, ornithosis, toxoplasmosis or campylobacteriosis was detected in the bodies of pigeons,” said hospital hygienist Ludmila Chalašová. Especially allergy sufferers and people with weakened immunity can also be at risk from the pigeon mite, which can be found, for example, on window sills and roof edges. Dead birds in the area are also a danger. “In healthcare facilities, there are significant risks of contamination of air conditioning and related technologies from the roofs of buildings where pigeons congregate,” Chalašová added.
During these days, falconer Daniel Dobrkovský with Harris’s kestrel also helps with pigeon hunting on the hospital premises. “It is a type of bird that is used very often in modern falconry. It is because of their calm and balanced nature,” said Dobrkovský. He uses a trained seven-year-old female for catching. “Under favorable conditions, he can work for about an hour, the number of birds caught has a lot to do with the weather,” said Kopalová.
In addition to catching pigeons and installing special nets, the hospital traps pigeons in cages or places spikes on windows.
