Human symptoms include chills, fever, sweating, severe weakness, headache and blurred vision. Antibiotics usually clear up disease symptoms two or three days after treatment begins. Histplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus that grows well in soil enriched by bat or bird droppings that have accumulated for a period of time. If the contaminated soil is disturbed, spores are released that cause the infection when inhaled. Salmonellosis is an infection of the intestines cause by the bacteria salmonella.
People can get the disease by having contact with bird droppings.
Symptoms usually include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. The illness is often worse in very young, elderly or immune-compromised people. The disease usually goes away without treatment, Morishita said. When cleaning accumulated bird droppings from patios, attics or backyard bird feeders, people should wear gloves and masks that prevent breathing in dust from dried droppings, Morishita said. Hands should also be washed thoroughly after cleaning bird droppings or touching animals.