Avian Feces

The research topic that has been selected is avian feces, also known as bird droppings. Bird dropping can contain over 60 diseases, and many of these diseases are harmful or deadly to humans. Further, diseases related to avian feces can be spread through the air or they can be contracted by coming in direct contact with the droppings. This topic is an important health and safety issue since workers in a variety of occupations may encounter these feces. For instance, workers at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority are at risk for contracting an avian related illness since most employees work outside and in areas that are highly populated with birds. Unfortunately, many employees come in contact with avian feces every day while at work, and if an employee breathes in infected particles of feces or touches them while working, they can become sick or even die.

Background

Avian feces are an important health and safety issue worldwide. Avian feces include dropping from birds that range from pigeons to bats and chickens. The droppings can contain disease-causing organisms that can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with the fecal matter or soil (Himebaugh & Gopalakrishan, 2013). Further, humans can become infected with avian viruses by inhaling contaminated pathogens. Unfortunately, when a worker is exposed to these pathogens, they can become stricken with several illnesses. These illnesses include Histoplasmosis, which is a respiratory disease that is caused by a fungus growing on old avian feces, and Cryptococcosis, which is a disease caused by yeast in birds (MNT, 2007). These diseases are a significant occupational health and safety hazard, as they can severely sicken and disable workers.

Interestingly, much attention has turned to avian feces due to an outbreak of the Avian Flu. This virus is transmitted by birds coming in contact with the nasal, fecal, or respiratory material of other birds that are infected with the virus (Gellerstedt, 2007). Then, humans who have contact with the feces of these birds, who work around infected birds, or those who breathe in spores from the fecal matter can contract the Avian Flu. Unfortunately, the Avian Flu is highly contagious, and many people have died from contracting the virus throughout the world.

There are workers in a variety of occupations that are at risk of contracting a disease that originates in avian feces. These workers include bridge inspectors, chimney cleaners, farmers, and roofers (CDC, 2000). Further, workers employed at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) are also at risk of becoming stricken with an illness or virus from bird droppings. The MTA employs approximately 65,000 people, and workers are in charge of maintaining the subways, buses, trains, and bridges in and around New York City (MTA, 2013). Since New York City has numerous skyscrapers and tall buildings, the area tends to attract a lot of birds, including pigeons. Pigeon droppings are visible on hundreds of New York City streets, sidewalks, and buildings. When workers, such as garbage men and street cleaners, come in contact with the feces, they are at high risk for contracting or inhaling a pathogen from the fecal matter. Once infected, the workers can become severely ill, thus making Avian Feces an extreme health hazard for MTA employees.

The statistical information regarding the prevalence of the hazards associated with coming in contact with Avian Feces is alarming. According to data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of people who live in areas where Histoplasmosis is prevalent will become exposed to the fungus (CDC, 2013). Fortunately, Histoplasmosis is not commonly found in the state of New York. Therefore, workers at the MTA have a low risk of contracting this virus when working in the city.

However, the threat of the Avian Flu still remains across the globe, and the virus is proving to be deadly. According to reports, out of 137 confirmed cases of Avian Flu, 45 people have died from the virus (WHO, 2013). Further, while the virus is currently not that prevalent around the world, the infection has a 60 percent mortality rate, and the virus is commonly discovered in patients under the age of 40 (Rewell, 2007). These statistics are troublesome for workers employed by the MTA due to the fact that a majority of workers are probably under the age of 40, and since New York City is one of the most populated areas in the country, the flu has the potential to spread quickly among inhabitants and workers of the city.

Regulations

When an occupational health and safety hazard has been identified, local, state, and government officials usually take steps to quickly identify and control the problem. When it comes to controlling diseases associated with avian feces, there are three government rules and regulations that are enforced to protect the health and safety of workers. First, employers must supply employees with written communication about hazards that may be encountered on the job (CDC, 2000). The written communication should address what risks the job entails, what diseases or illnesses can be acquired by working in the occupation, and which health care service providers to contact if a worker thinks that may have contracted an avian virus. Next, government regulations mandate that signs should be posted to warn workers and the public that a specific area is a health risk. For example, the Department of Health may post a sign under a bridge that states that the area is closed due to a rise in illnesses from working in that specific area. Therefore, workers, such as those employed by the MTA, should not be permitted to do any work in that area in order to protect themselves from contracting an avian virus. Finally, government regulations mandate that workers in every occupation wear the appropriate equipment to preserve their health and safety. This regulation applies to those employees who work around avian feces, and proper face masks and clothing need to be worn to avoid directly contacting or inhaling the pathogens from the contaminated feces.

Unfortunately, despite the government rules and regulations that were developed to prevent workers from contracting viruses from avian feces, these regulations do have some limitations. First, while employers must inform workers about the risks of a specific job, the risks of coming in contact with avian feces may seem lower than the risks of most jobs. Therefore, most employees will work the job despite these risks. For example, if workers feel that their occupation has an acceptable level of hazardous conditions, they will cope with the hazardous conditions and determine the conditions to be safe (Soares et al., 2012). Sadly, this means that some workers, such as those employed at the MTA, may not feel that their job is as risky as another profession, or the workers may not be fully educated on the potential health problems that are associated with bird droppings.

Additionally, a second gap in government regulations that surround avian feces involves warning workers and the public about contaminated sites. Although health department officials may determine that a specific area contains contaminated bird feces, the department does not know how many workers and people in the public were at that contaminated site before the health issue was identified. Therefore, workers in that location may already be infected with an avian related virus, and it may be too late to control the disease and stop it from spreading to other workers. Further, a final limitation in these aforementioned government regulations is the use of clothing and equipment to protect workers from being exposed to contaminated fecal matter. Although special clothing and face masks would help to protect workers from getting sick with these viruses, it is up to the organization to enforce these rules. For example, the MTA may require all street cleaners to wear face masks to reduce the chance of inhaling fungus that originated on feces. However, if the MTA and managers are not directly overseeing the workers, then they may not be able to enforce these rules and regulations. Therefore, it would be up to the employee to wear the face mask when on the job and to protect the self from being exposed to the pathogens.

Techniques for Reducing Injury/Illness

Since the diseases associated with coming in contact with Avian Feces can be infectious, researchers on the virus and workplace safety commissions have identified five strategies for preventing this illness in the workplace. First, when workers encounter bird droppings in a location, the bird droppings need to be removed quickly and properly. The Center for Disease Control recommends wetting dust from bird droppings and using an industrial vacuum cleaner with sealed bags to remove the particles from a contaminated area (CDC, 2000). This will eliminate fecal particles from being spread throughout the air, and this method will help to prevent workers from inhaling the contaminated matter. Next, if workers are in an area that has soil contaminated by avian feces, the contaminated soil should be disinfected with formaldehyde (CDC, 2000). Formaldehyde is a chemical that can kill fungal spores that have grown on the fecal material and it prevents fungus from continuing to spread throughout the soil. Also, respirators help to prevent workers from inhaling particles of avian fecal matter. Respirators, such as the one designed by the Occupational Health and Safety Commission, allow workers to breathe in clean air that has been purified by any recognizable and unrecognizable containments (Green-McKenzie & D’Souza, 2006). Respirators are a widely used item to protect workers since research has confirmed that respirators can prevent workers from being infected with the Avian Flu.

Additionally, when a worker is exposed to contaminated fecal matter, an important strategy to protect their health is to take Tamiflu. Tamiflu is widely prescribed by doctors to treat the flu-like symptoms associated with bird-related viruses and illnesses (Leavitt, 2006). If a worker at the MTA develops flu-like symptoms after removing bird feces from a bridge structure, taking Tamiflu may help to save their life and prevent the virus from spreading to coworkers and loved ones. Finally, to prevent workers from being exposed to avian feces, the air quality in the work area should be continually tested and monitored to ensure that there are no contaminated particles of fecal matter or fungus in the air (Arizona, 2013). Continuously monitoring the air quality of workplaces will protect workers from inhaling disease-causing particles that carry avian viruses and other illnesses that may lead to the progression of pneumonia.

There are three innovative ways that can be implemented to reduce the number of workers that get infected with viruses from avian feces. First, a chemical should be invented that repels or dissolves bird droppings. This chemical could be sprayed on buildings, roofs, structures, and soils that are commonly covered in bird feces. This chemical would prevent bird droppings from aging, and eliminate fungus from developing on the feces. As a result, workers who commonly frequent these areas would be better protected from contacting a virus since the droppings would be diminished or eliminated.

In addition, a second innovative strategy for reducing workers from being stricken ill by contaminated avian feces is to control the bird population. Many species of birds commonly flock in large groups, which lead to a greater amount of bird droppings in one or more areas. However, if large nets or cages were created to capture birds, the bird population would be controlled since the birds could be moved to another location. Nonetheless, this strategy would be effective at reducing avian health-related illnesses in workers since they could be now working in avian free areas.

Finally, a third way to reduce the number of workers being infected by diseases that originate in avian feces is to develop vaccines for bird-related diseases. If vaccines were developed and mandated in all employees in certain occupations, then the incidences of these viruses and diseases would decrease. For instance, if a vaccine was developed for the highly infectious and deadly Avian Flu, workers would be protected from contracting the illness. Furthermore, coworkers and loved ones would also be at less risk of being sickened or killed by the deadly virus. Therefore, researchers should continue to search for a vaccine for humans that can protect them from bird-related diseases, such as the Avian Flu.

Conclusion

In summary, the research topic, Avian Feces, was selected for this research project since it is the origin of numerous viruses and diseases throughout the world. Further, this topic is an important health and safety issue since workers in a variety of occupations may encounter these feces on a daily basis. While government regulations mandate that organizations and local health services departments notify the public of contaminated sites, warn employees of job-related health hazards, and require employees to wear specific protective clothing, there are still limitations to these regulations. Fortunately, respirators, chemicals, and medical treatment are available to workers who encounter avian feces frequently in the workplace. However, if chemicals were invented to prevent bird droppings from sticking to surfaces, the bird population was controlled, and vaccines were available for bird-related viruses and diseases, many workers would have a reduced risk of becoming sick or even dying due to this occupational-related health hazard.

References

Arizona. (2013). Bird dropping/excrement checklist. Retrieved from http://risk.az.gov/userfiles/file/Excrement%20Removal%20Checklist.pdf

CDC. (2000). Control of health hazards associated with bird and bat droppings. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nas/rdrp/appendices/chapter6/a6-133.pdf

CDC. (2013). Histoplasmosis statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/histoplasmosis/statistics.html

Gellerstedt, C. (2007). Preventing bird-borne diseases. Retrieved from http://ohsonline.com/articles/2007/06/preventing-birdborne-diseases.aspx

Green-McKenzie, J., & D’Souza, D. (2006). Facing airborne infections. Retrieved from http://ohsonline.com/articles/2006/05/facing-airborninfections.aspx?admgarea=ht.InfectiousDiseases

Himebaugh, R., & Gopalakrishan, L. (2013). Avian pathogens and zoonotic health threats. Retrieved from http://www.emlab.com/s/sampling/env-report-05-2011.html

Leavitt, M. (2006). Pandemic planning update II. Retrieved from http://www.flu.gov/pandemic/history/panflureport2.pdf

MNT. (2007). Birds and their dropping can carry over 60 diseases. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/61646.php

MTA. (2013). Public transportation for the New York region. Retrieved from http://web.mta.info/mta/network.htm

Rewell, P.A. (2007). Avian influenza A (H5N1): Pandemic potential and the role of the clinical microbiologylaboratory. Laboratory Medicine, 38(12), 740-746.

Soares, M.M., Jacobs, K., & Maiti, J. (2012). Design for work system safety using employee’s perceptionabout safety. Work, 41, 3117-3122.

WHO. (2013). Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus-update. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_10_24a/en/index.html