Uhh all that being said (and I agree it is no big deal) I still wouldn't go around licking flushing handles as a matter of course [img]smile.gif[/img]

Larry, Karen sounds very sensible to me. I wish some of our patients were as sensible.

'Ohh, I picked up a pidgeon, will I catch anything' Yeah you'll catch a tongue lashing from me for wasting my time. You're 40 years old for God's sake!

'Can you visit my 2 month old child? - he has a cold'
Okay - can you bring him down here?
'No - he's asleep'
Then pick him up, wrap him in a blanket and walk the 100 yards to the surgery!

LOL Donut!
The same people that would call for an ambulance and ask the paramedics for aspirin :rolleyes:

Pigeons are pretty disgusting, if people must handle them I would always advise washing their hands afterwards! I believe that 90% of feral pigeons carry Psittacosis (Chlamydiosis) but you'd only be likely to catch it if you inhaled its dried shit or feather dust. It's more of a danger to sheep than humans. But the vast majority of cases in humans are amongst bird owners like myself, and people who work in pet stores, not from a random encounter with a pigeon.