Tag Archives: Pigeon

Shiga-toxin producing E. coli: Another reason to avoid pigeon poop

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Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in humans cause disease ranging from uncomplicated intestinal illnesses to bloody diarrhea and systemic sequelae, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Previous research indicated that pigeons may be a reservoir for a population of verotoxigenic E. coli producing the VT2f variant.

pigeon-poop-shamelessWe used whole-genome sequencing to characterize a set of VT2f-producing E. coli strains from human patients with diarrhea or HUS and from healthy pigeons. We describe a phage conveying the vtx2f genes and provide evidence that the strains causing milder diarrheal disease may be transmitted to humans from pigeons.

The strains causing HUS could derive from VT2f phage acquisition by E. coli strains with a virulence genes asset resembling that of typical HUS-associated verotoxigenic E. coli.

Whole-genome characterization and strain comparison of VT2f-producing Escherichia coli causing hemolytic uremic syndrome

Emerging Infectious Diseases, December 2016, Volume 22, Number 12, https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2212.160017

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/12/16-0017_article

You knew it all along: It’s pigeon poop

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Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Enteritidis is a major cause of human salmonellosis worldwide; however, little is known about the genetic relationships between S. Enteritidis clinical strains and S. Enteritidis strains from other sources in Chile.

pigeon-poopWe compared the whole genomes of 30 S. Enteritidis strains isolated from gulls, domestic chicken eggs, and humans in Chile, to investigate their phylogenetic relationships and to establish their relatedness to international strains. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analysis showed that only 246/4,065 shared loci differed among these Chilean strains, separating them into two clusters (I and II), with cluster II being further divided into five subclusters. One subcluster (subcluster 2) contained strains from all surveyed sources that differed at 1 to 18 loci (of 4,065 loci) with 1 to 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), suggesting interspecies transmission of S. Enteritidis in Chile. Moreover, clusters were formed by strains that were distant geographically, which could imply that gulls might be spreading the pathogen throughout the country.

 Our cgMLST analysis, using other S. Enteritidis genomes available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, showed that S. Enteritidis strains from Chile and the United States belonged to different lineages, which suggests that S. Enteritidis regional markers might exist and could be used for trace-back investigations.

Whole-genome sequencing analysis of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis isolates in Chile provides insights into possible contamination between gulls, poultry, and humans

Appl Environ Microbiol 82:6223–6232. doi:10.1128/AEM.01760-16.

M Toro, P Retamal, S Ayers, M Barreto, M Allard, EW Brown, N Gonzalez-Escalona

http://aem.asm.org/content/82/20/6223.abstract?etoc

 

Avoid pigeon poop, possible source of bad E. coli

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Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in humans cause disease ranging from uncomplicated intestinal illnesses to bloody diarrhea and systemic sequelae, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

pigeon-poop-shamelessPrevious research indicated that pigeons may be a reservoir for a population of verotoxigenic E. coli producing the VT2f variant. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize a set of VT2f-producing E. coli strains from human patients with diarrhea or HUS and from healthy pigeons. We describe a phage conveying the vtx2f genes and provide evidence that the strains causing milder diarrheal disease may be transmitted to humans from pigeons.

The strains causing HUS could derive from VT2f phage acquisition by E. coli strains with a virulence genes asset resembling that of typical HUS-associated verotoxigenic E. coli.

Whole-Genome characterization and strain comparison of VT2f- producing Eschericha coli causing hemolytic uremic syndrome

Emerging Infectious Dieseaes, Volume 22, Number 12- December 2016,  DOI: 10.3201/eid2212.160017

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/12/16-0017_article#suggestedcitation

Dogs, cats, pigeons in sight for hungry Venezuelans

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As the economy spirals into deeper disarray, protests aimed at driving unpopular Venezuelans president Nicolás Maduro out of office are growing. Maduro responded over the weekend by declaring a 60-day state of emergency to combat what he said are U.S.-sponsored efforts to overthrow his socialist government.

hambre-en-VenezuelaPeter Wilson of USA Today reports the unrest mounts as the country faces continuing shortages of essential food, medicine and toiletries. All the bakeries here in La Victoria, 55 miles southwest of Caracas, stopped producing bread last week because there is no flour.

“People are hunting dogs and cats in the streets, and pigeons in the plazas to eat,” Ramon Muchacho, mayor of the Caracas district of Chacao, said this month in a tweet that was reported in many newspapers.

An epic drought has also gripped this nation that relies mostly on hydroelectric dams, sparking rolling blackouts and water shortages. Hospitals have had to postpone operations and procedures because of power outages. And government employees now work only two days a week to conserve electricity.

 

Pigeon, parakeet and pony: Amsterdam food truck serves maligned meat

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I don’t care what various cultures use as their source of protein: I care that it is microbiologically safe.

cackling-geese1According to NPR, in Amsterdam, two artists are trying to widen their city’s list of local tasty creatures — and expand minds, too — with dishes like the My Little Pony Burger, Peace Pigeon and Bambi Ball.

Their project, The Kitchen Of The Unwanted Animal is a food truck and specialty food provider featuring animals that are, generally, considered pests and almost always considered inedible.

“I think there is a kind of block in your head because it’s a pet or [an animal that’s not typically eaten],” says Rob Hagenouw, 55, one of the founders of the Kitchen. “Here we have pet, pest and eating animals — and we don’t mix them.” But he and his partner, Nicolle Schatborn, 51, are trying to show their neighbors that these animals can be delicious, and shouldn’t be wasted.

wholetruck-3aaab70a52e0d7f294c62882b25772c5fd90da71-s1600-c85It all started five years ago with a wild goose stew Schatborn and Hagenouw made for an art fair as part of a larger installation. The stew got them wondering about what happened to geese and other animals that were considered “unwanted” in Holland.

I know a lot of North Americans, especially on golf courses, that would want to get rid of the geese.

Denver fans say pigeon poop is ruining their football experience

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Getting crapped on by a pigeon is apparently routine for Denver Broncos fans sitting in section 306 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

“There were some people messing around behind me and someone grabbed my shirt,” season ticket holder Allison Harden said according to The Coloradoan. “I found out a pigeon had pooped on the back of my shirt.”

Allison and her husband, Jeff, say they saw several other people hit with the stink before and during the game. She says people sitting in the $250 seats had to use towels to cover their heads and were turning their popcorn bags into covers for their drinks. The Hardens reported the problem to stadium employees and were told it has been going on for years.

“There’s actually a plastic owl,” Jeff Harden said. “I’m sure they set that up there at one point to deter the pigeons. It’s obviously not working. It’s a health issue.

There’s people with drinks. There’s open food containers.”

General Manager of Stadium Management Company Andy Gorchov released a statement saying the safety and comfort of fans is the No. 1 priority of the stadium’s maintenance team but noted that outdoor stadiums sometimes have issues with birds. If it has been going on for years and is as bad as the fans say it is, something definitely has to be done.

Kings Of Leon cancel St Louis gig after ‘pigeon poop’ drama

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This is not rock ’n roll.

There’s all these new bands that have the same whiny sound, nothing distinctive, and lyrically they write like self-obsessed babies.

Now one group is acting like babies.

Kings Of Leon cancelled an outdoor gig in St Louis on Friday (July 23) after a pigeon pooped on bassist Jared Followill’s head.??

Gigwise.com reports the band were three songs into their set at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater when they announced that the concert was being halted due to “safety concerns.”

”??No further explanation was given at the time, but drummer Nathan Followill later revealed more details on Twitter.??

“So sorry St. Louis. We had to bail, pigeons shitting in jareds mouth and it was too unsanitary to continue,” Nathan wrote.??

The drummer apologized again, but was bombarded with criticism from the band’s fans.??

Responding to the disapproval, he added: “Don’t take it out on Jared, it’s the ****ing venues fault. You may enjoy being shit on but we don’t. ??“Sorry for all who travelled many miles.”

The incident has inspired the creation of the seemingly hoax Twitter account, twitter.com/KOLPigeon.?? Fox2now had originally cited heat as the cause for the cancellation. It is not clear if the concert will be rescheduled.

If it really was pigeon poop, there’s a low-tech solution. Wear a ball cap.

Wild Boar population explodes in Germany: Plenty of bacon to go around

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The New York Times reports “the wild boar is multiplying and less lovable.” I’m pretty sure the closest boars got to lovable was in the Lion King, and even then: not so lovable (and not a terrific singer either). Germany has its hands full with the wild boar population. Normally, the worst thing one of Germany’s wild boars will do is ruin a field of corn, which is one of their favorite foods. Lately, however, as their population has exploded scientists estimate that it increased by 320 percent in Germany in the last year alone — the pigs have been having more and more encounters with humans. Wild boars cause extensive damage to crops and property, but also have the potential be deadly to people that come upon them.  But if they don’t kill you immediately, they could be carrying bugs that will get you later.  Wild hogs are carriers of diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis, pseudorabies and tuberculosis.

If they don’t eat all of the crops while scavenging, they could be leaving behind E. coli in their feces, which was the likely situation in 2006 when contaminated spinach from California took three lives and made over 200 ill.  These buggers are so destructive that fencing off crops is useless; the pigs plow right through them.  I’d love to see if there’s any data out there correlating E.coli cases in Germany with the increasing populations of wild boars.

Currently an estimated 2 million to 2.5 million boars roam the forests, suburbs and maize fields of Germany. No national program seems to be set up to eradicate this problem, but local hunters do their best by enjoying a roasted leg of wild boar once in awhile.

Where to get germs while on vacation

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I’ve walked down Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Chinese Theatre. I bought a $2 map of the stars’ houses and photographed the "foot prints" of Star Wars’ R2D2 and C3PO in the cement. But I didn’t touch anything.

That sidewalk made the list of the five germiest tourist spots in the world as determined by editors at TripAdvisor.com this summer:

1. Blarney Stone in Blarney, Ireland – Last year, about 400,000 people hung upside down to kiss this stone in their quest for the gift of eloquence.

2. Market Theater Gum Wall in Seattle, Washington – This 15’x50′ wall of gum began as a few sticky pieces discarded by college students waiting in line for movie tickets fifteen years ago.

3. St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy – For some reason, people love feeding the pigeons here, though city officials have been cracking down on the pooping menaces in recent years.

4. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California – The celebrity handprints in the cement  out front encourage bare-hand contact with a city sidewalk, which, according to a Theatre tour guide, is mopped daily and pressure washed once a week to support the trend.

5. Oscar Wilde’s Tomb in Paris, France – Admirers of author and playwright Oscar Wilde don bright lipstick to kiss his tomb when they come to pay their respects.

CNN’s report of the list states,

"Though it is unlikely to get sick from visiting one of these places, health experts say germs are always a gamble. The more people who touch and visit a spot, the more germs there are in the mix, they say.

"Their traveling advice? Travelers should load up on hand sanitizers and wash their hands often on their trips."

Good advice, baseless assumptions. Now, what about the kissing? And the pigeons?

TripAdvisor travel expert Brooke Ferencsik was quoted as saying, "These places are great attractions regardless of the fact that they are germy."

I’d say they were good for a photo, maybe. But I’m passing on the hands-on (or mouth-on) participation.

Don’t drink infected pig blood

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Reuters reported yesterday that new information from the World Health Organization suggested pigs sickened with H1N1 swine flu should not be consumed, despite earlier insistence that fully cooked pork is perfectly safe.

The story states,

"The WHO comments appear more cautious than those from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which said import bans are not required to safeguard public health because the disease is not food-borne and has not been identified in dead animal tissue.

The WHO however said it was possible for flu viruses to survive the freezing process and be present in thawed meat, as well as in blood."

Well, who in their right mind drinks raw pig blood thinking it won’t possibly make them sick?

I didn’t find any statements on the WHO website that mentioned the ability of viruses to survive freezing–or its pertinence to the consumption of fully cooked pork–but I discovered that the WHO, FAO, and OIE have reissued their joint statement from April 30 today to address misunderstanding of the consumption of meat from H1N1 infected pigs. The statement reads, in part,

"Authorities and consumers should ensure that meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead are not processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances."

Sick or dead animals should never be slaughtered, regardless of the cause of illness or death. This  reduces the risk for cross-contamination. The statement reassures,

"Heat treatments commonly used in cooking meat (e.g. 70°C/160°F core temperature) will readily inactivate any viruses potentially present in raw meat products.

Pork and pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices recommended by the WHO, Codex Alimentarius Commission and the OIE, will not be a source of infection."

But I shouldn’t be spelling this stuff out–the WHO should. And they should address the bit about viruses surviving freezing and how that impacts food handlers.

Authorities should communicate the risks and how they’re being managed (or can be managed) in a way the public can understand and the media can’t mess up. It’s their responsibility to a concerned public.