Summer 2011 | Wingfield Springs Community Association Newsletter
Neighborhood Bird Issue
B
irds and bird droppings can be a nuisance and create major health hazards. Contact with bird droppings can pose serious health risks and exposure to incurable diseases.
If you have areas where birds congregate on your property, there is reason for concern.
The only sure way to avoid these debilitating diseases is to avoid contact with these droppings or do your best to prevent the droppings from occurring in the first place.
It’s our job as the HOA Board to help provide an environment that is safe for all home
owners. Based on recent studies done by government agencies, the board feels there is a need to limit the influx of birds to reduce possible health risks. The Board will start by prohibiting all seed bird feeders and all hand feeding of birds for all residents and by informing owners who have birds nesting on their roofs or on other outside spaces that they must be removed.
The RTC has allocated $300,000 for bird control on their 4th St. project. Below is
feedback from other agencies that have led our regional government to invest a substantial amount of money to deter bird nesting. This information has helped us on the Board make this decision regarding the use of bird feeders.
According to the NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene and the Illinois Dept. of Public
Health, birds are known to harbor Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans; two fungi which can infect humans. They also may harbor a bacterium (Chlamydophila psittaci) which can cause an infection called ornithosis. Birds are also known to carry the West Nile and St. Louis Encephalitis viruses. Ticks and mites, which carry diseases in their own right are also carried by birds and may transmit diseases to humans. We have all heard of Salmonella, which we typically associate with undercooked poultry or eggs. This bacterial disease can also be spread through bird fluids including droppings. Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea or even go undetected. In some cases, humans may unknowingly carry the disease and transmit it to others. The treatment generally consists of antibiotics, but may require the removal of the gallbladder to fully cure.
There are many such government agencies who concur with these findings and warnings.
This will become a new resolution, effective July 16, 2011, for Wingfield Springs.
Lou Dauria
President Wingfield Springs Community Association
The Board will start by prohibiting all seed bird feeders and all hand feeding of birds for all residents.