Unlocking the Pathological Insights of the Bacterial Infections of Free‐Living Pigeons

Abstract

Feral birds pose a significant concern to many authors, as they can serve as long-distance vectors for various microorganisms that may be transmissible to animals and poultry. This study aimed to identify bacterial infections in feral pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica), their potential role in spreading bacterial pathogens to various Egyptian livestock and the zoonotic significance of this bird species. We conducted the study on 80 healthy feral pigeons, collected from a non-urban area (Ismailia city) in Egypt during the hunting season from October 2022 to July 2023. We kept the birds in the lab for 72 h, conducting a thorough clinical examination and collecting tissue specimens from various organs of the body. The observed histological lesions were various and numerous, with variable incidences in different body organs. Bacteriological examination revealed the isolation of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Salmonellae, Shigella, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas. We concluded that feral pigeons could significantly contribute to transmitting some bacterial pathogens to humans, poultry farms and other farm animals.