If you clean a chicken coup/ bird house without wearing a protective mask, can you catch any diseases?

I am asking this on behalf of my mum who has heard a rumour that a friend of a friend died recently when cleaning out his pigeon house. He wasn't wearing a protective mask and apparently breathed in some of the dust whilst cleaning, and it killed him. Now my mum is worrying because she owns a lot of chickens and is worried about breathing in anything harmful when cleaning out the coup. So all i want to know is, can she catch any harmful diseases when cleaning out her beloved chickens and if so, what diseases might they be? And is it wise to invest in a protective mask? ThanksIf you clean a chicken coup/ bird house without wearing a protective mask, can you catch any diseases?
Your mum should always wear a proper mask while cleaning out and discarding the chicken manure.The manure creates a type of gas(that's the stink you smell) and there are air borne pathogens in the dust stirred up as she cleans. Some of which you can't even see.She should use a respirator if a large area is to be cleaned.The air-borne pathogens can cause several severe respiratory problemsIf you clean a chicken coup/ bird house without wearing a protective mask, can you catch any diseases?
Pidgeon dropings carry many diseases. Three human diseases are known to be associated with pigeon droppings: histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis, as well as bugs, similar to those in bats.





Symptoms if related illness may appear within 10 days and can cause pneumonia and fungal diseases.


In addition encephalitis can be, like pneumonia, contracted from airborn dust from the droppings and both can be deadly.





It is advisable to wear surgical masks and glove while cleaning cages.
ummm..no! lol


I have chickens and I've been cleaning out my chicken coop without a mask-sometimes without shoes! lol. And I'm perfectly fine. Plus, there shouldn't be a lot to clean up if you do it regularly every week and the chickens have enough space, there shouldn't be enough poop in one place to kill you if you breathe it! Plus it goes straight from a pitchfork to a wheelbarrow, so It don't get near your face. lol


:)
I dont think you fall over dead in the middle of cleaning the bird coop.





I have never worn a mask.. but maybe I should..


I guess if you got sick and didnt get help, are old, weak, etc maybe it could be a problem.





if your birds have lots of room to walk around (ours are free range in the day) the coop will be cleaner
histoplasmosis