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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Paul Longland" data-source="post: 3657265" data-attributes="member: 137696">You are absolutely right.  Psittacosis and other such diseases is not confined to pigeons.However, the risk is primarily from dried faeces and where you get large accumulations such as under roosts or favoured perches of larger and sociable species that subsequently dry out that is where the main problem lies.As you rightly say those most at risk would be those who keep pigeons/chickens pet birds etc and clean out their cages/coops.  It is not called parrot fever for no reason.8-PI certainly did not mean to imply that we should all hold our breath every time we pass a pigeon but was simply using the example to show why some people think they are vermin.It is of course all about context. As soon as wildlife starts encroaching into our urban everyday lives someone somewhere will decide that it is vermin etc etc.  It is amazing peoples attitude to foxes suddenly changes when one starts rooting around in your bin bags.</blockquote>