Is close contact with pigeons bad for your health?

Anyone who lives in a city in India knows there are pigeons everywhere – on the balconies of buildings, roosting on rooftops, nesting in air-conditioners, and gathering in open spaces. Recently, pigeons have found their way into the news too – the Maharashtra government’s order to shutdown 51 kabutarkhanas in Mumbai has stirred up a controversy. While the government has cited health hazards arising from pigeon droppings and feathers, some communities have maintained that pigeon feeding is a daily act of compassion. Residents have clashed with the police, the Bombay High Court has gotten involved, and a committee of experts is to study the issue.So what exactly are the health hazards associated with pigeons? Whose health is being affected and how? And what is the way forward? Guest: Dr Lancelot Pinto, a pulmonologist and epidemiologist based at P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai Host: Zubeda Hamid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices