Two patients have died after contracting a fungal infection caused by pigeon droppings at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, according to an article on the BBC website.
One infected patient died, but from an unrelated cause, according to hospital officials. Another infected patient has also died but the factors contributing to the death are still being investigated.
A small number of vulnerable pediatric and adult patients are receiving medication to protect them against the airborne infection, which is a Cryptococcus species.
A non-public room in the hospital is thought to contain machinery, was identified as a likely source. The hospital has taken steps to keep the pigeons from the room — and ultimately from the hospital's ventilation system.
State of the Facilities Management Industry in 2025
City of Hope to Open New Cancer Specialty Hospital in California
Montefiore Einstein Opening New Inpatient Center for Youth in the Bronx
Skill Stacking: How Micro-Credentials Are Reshaping Trades
Prima Medicine Opens New Location in Tysons, Virginia