Don’t fear catching bugs from seagulls – Harris

DIVE-BOMBING seagulls with their piercing cries may be upsetting residents of north Dublin – but the public should remain unruffled about their risk of infection.

A look back for the past 10 years shows there were 25,000 reported cases of campylobacter and 3,500 cases of salmonella nationally.

However, there have been just three cases of salmonella and two of campylobacter that could be explained by bird contact – two of which were pets.

“This means an association, but does not mean that birds caused the disease,” said Health Minister Simon Harris.

His colleague Heather Humphreys, who has responsibility for regional affairs, ordered a pilot scheme to remove nests of gulls in Balbriggan after being lobbied by local TDs.

This was justified on the grounds of “threat to public safety”. Complaints from residents have included seagulls diver-bombing and swooping on food being eaten by children outdoors.

However, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the country’s disease watchdog, could find little cause for concern in the 10-year look-back.

Mr Harris said a number of studies had looked at the specific issue of human disease and gulls from the early 1980s onwards, the most recent in 2005.

“While there is some evidence that wild birds – including gulls – may transmit salmonella to animal feed and drinking water, and by this mechanism potentially lead to human infection, the evidence for this in each instance was considered weak,” he said.

The conclusion is that gulls, as carriers of salmonella, constitute little health hazard to human health, he said.