Hitchcock’s Birds, or the Increased Rate of Exposure to Histoplasma from Blackbird Roost Sites

doi:10.1378/chest.80.4.434

Chest

Volume 80, Issue 4, October 1981, Pages 434-438

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.80.4.434 Get rights and content

A statewide survey of populations in proximity to blackbird roost sites to determine exposure to histoplasmosis from such sites has demonstrated that a site harboring Histoplasma capsulatum, even though undisturbed, adds significantly to the exposure rate of proximal populations. Disturbance of such a site increases the exposure rate dramatically with or without concurrent clinical cases of histoplasmosis.

Section snippets

Blackbird Roost Sites

Roost site locations were determined statewide through U.S. Fish and Wildlife compilations, Kentucky Department of Agriculture listings, and by questioning of county agencies and residents. Soil samples from roost sites were collected in accordance with Center for Disease Control recommendations²¹ and cultured using the oil flotation method.

Study Populations

Study populations in all regions of the state²² were obtained in areas surrounding blackbird roost sites previously cultured by the laboratory of this study

Blackbird Roost Sites

A total of 108 roost sites were identified. Sites were found in 57 of the 120 counties in Kentucky. The number of sites per county varied from one to seven. Seventy of these sites have been cultured with 22 (32 percent) found positive for H capsulatum. Seven of the positive roost sites had been disturbed; the remaining 15 were undisturbed.

Study Populations

A total of 7,123 persons were included in this study. Within the three study categories, 2,416 persons were in proximity to positive disturbed sites, 3,110 to

DISCUSSION

At the time this study began, only 30 blackbird roost sites had been identified in Kentucky. In somewhat over two years, 78 additional sites have been identified. Considering that new roosts are formed each pear and that when sought county by county, other older sites can be identified, the presently identified 108 sites cannot be considered inclusive of all sites in the state. This is certainly indicative that in any area where one is studying the relationship between blackbird roost sites and

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Blackbird roosts and histoplasmosis: an increasing medical problem?
Chest
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Acute histoplasmosis, description of an outbreak in northern Louisiana
Chest
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Histoplasmosis outbreaks: recommendations for mandatory treatment of known microfoci of H capsulatum in soils
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Much ado about starlings
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Blackbird Research Conference sponsored by Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Western Kentucky...
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A starling roost as the source of urban epidemic histoplasmosis in an area of low incidence
Am Rev Respir Dis
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The second of two epidemics of histoplasmosis resulting from work on the same starling roost
Am Rev Respir Dis
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HJ Dodge et al.

The association of a bird roosting site with infection of school children by Histoplasma capsulatum

Am J Public Health

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(1958)

Cited by (9)

Sapro-Zoonotic Risks Posed by Wild Birds in Agricultural Landscapes
2009, The Produce Contamination Problem
There are over 1400 catalogued human pathogens, with approximately 62% classified as zoonotic. Because humans generally do not have direct contact with wild birds, exposure to pathogens is via indirect routes, that is, environmental. This chapter explores the risks wild birds pose to the contamination of field crops and the risk such contamination poses to human health. It presents a few studies that document the role wild birds have in contaminating field crops and subsequent acquisition of pathogens and onset of disease by humans. Most of the evidence in the literature focuses on relatively few commensally wildlife species in urbanized environments, or at best, general wildlife surveillance and monitoring efforts. This means that there is no direct evidence. Therefore, this chapter summarizes the circumstantial evidence, relying mostly on the characterization of host range of pathogens, similarities of virulence traits of animal and human pathogens, and habitat use patterns of wild birds in agricultural and urban landscapes. It calls for more directed studies to form a more informed assessment as to what actual human pathogen contamination risks wild birds pose to field crops, and by implication, to human health. Finally, it touches upon the mitigation efforts that might be undertaken to reduce risks of pathogen transmission by wild birds.
Histoplasmosis
1996, Seminars in Roentgenology
Genome sequences reveal cryptic speciation in the human pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum
2017, mBio
Disease risks posed by wild birds associated with agricultural landscapes
2014, The Produce Contamination Problem: Causes and Solutions: Second Edition
Soil-related bacterial and fungal infections
2012, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Aspergillosis, mucormycosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis
2010, Environmental Medicine

View all citing articles on Scopus

: Supported in part by a contract from the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

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Chest

Section snippets

Blackbird Roost Sites

Study Populations

Blackbird Roost Sites

Study Populations

DISCUSSION

REFERENCES (24)

Blackbird roosts and histoplasmosis: an increasing medical problem?

Chest

Acute histoplasmosis, description of an outbreak in northern Louisiana

Chest

Histoplasmosis outbreaks: recommendations for mandatory treatment of known microfoci of H capsulatum in soils

Chest

Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis following the excavation of a bird roost

Am J Med

Much ado about starlings

Nat Hist

Histoplasmosis outbreaks: their patterns

The emerging pattern of urban histoplasmosis: studies on an epidemic in Mexico, Missouri

N Eng J Med

A starling roost as the source of urban epidemic histoplasmosis in an area of low incidence

Am Rev Respir Dis

The second of two epidemics of histoplasmosis resulting from work on the same starling roost

Am Rev Respir Dis

The association of a bird roosting site with infection of school children by Histoplasma capsulatum

Am J Public Health

The Walworth, Wisconsin epidemic of histoplasmosis

Ann Intern Med

Cited by (9)

Sapro-Zoonotic Risks Posed by Wild Birds in Agricultural Landscapes

Histoplasmosis

Genome sequences reveal cryptic speciation in the human pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum

Disease risks posed by wild birds associated with agricultural landscapes

Soil-related bacterial and fungal infections

Aspergillosis, mucormycosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis

Chest

Clinical InvestigationsHitchcock’s Birds, or the Increased Rate of Exposure to Histoplasma from Blackbird Roost Sites

Section snippets

Blackbird Roost Sites

Study Populations

Blackbird Roost Sites

Study Populations

DISCUSSION

Chest

Chest

Chest

Am J Med

Much ado about starlings

Nat Hist

Histoplasmosis outbreaks: their patterns

The emerging pattern of urban histoplasmosis: studies on an epidemic in Mexico, Missouri

N Eng J Med

A starling roost as the source of urban epidemic histoplasmosis in an area of low incidence

Am Rev Respir Dis

The second of two epidemics of histoplasmosis resulting from work on the same starling roost

Am Rev Respir Dis

The association of a bird roosting site with infection of school children by Histoplasma capsulatum

Am J Public Health

The Walworth, Wisconsin epidemic of histoplasmosis

Ann Intern Med

Clinical Investigations
Hitchcock’s Birds, or the Increased Rate of Exposure to Histoplasma from Blackbird Roost Sites