After the pictures of sign boards warning people against feeding pigeons go viral, Thane Municipal Corporation on Friday said that the warning is issued time to time to sensitize people about ‘hypersensitive pneumonia’ that is contracted by living in the close proximity to pigeons.

The sign board, which has Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) inscribed on it, warns people not to feed pigeons within the civic body`s municipal limits and also warns of Rs 500 fine to be levied on people found defying the warning. 

A Thane civic official told mid-day.com that the warning is not new and it has been going since 2020. “I also received picture of the sign board today morning. This is not new and we have been creating awareness about not feeding pigeons since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. We put these sign boards from time to time to create awareness,” the official said. 

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The civic official said that organisms in pigeon faeces cause “hypersensitive pneumonia”. “Hence, we put sign boards warning people against feeding pigeons,” the official added.

The sign board reads that the cases of “hypersensitive pneumonia” disease due to pigeon feather and faecal matter is on the rise in Pune and Mumbai.

The board also states that people with pre-existing lung conditions are 60-65 per cent more likely to fall prey to “hypersensitive pneumonia”.

What is hypersensitive pneumonia?

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by repeated inhalation of certain fungal, bacterial, animal protein or reactive chemical particles, called antigens. While most people who breathe in these antigens don`t develop problems, in some people, the body`s immune reaction to these particles causes inflammation of the lung. In some cases, parts of the lungs may become scarred. 

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