Woman loses toe to fungus from pigeon droppings in Peru

Verónica Marzano, a mother of two from Villa María del Triunfo, Peru, faces life-altering consequences after contracting a severe fungal infection from cleaning pigeon droppings. For years, she removed the birds' excrement from her home without gloves, unaware of the health risks.

“

My situation now is that I have lost a finger from touching pigeon droppings. There were many pigeons in my house and I cleaned the droppings with my hand, without using gloves. The pigeons had lived there for years and I didn't know the droppings had this fungus. The itching was unbearable.

The prolonged exposure led to cryptococcosis, a dangerous fungus linked to pigeon feces. Marzano experienced debilitating symptoms including fever, chills, and unbearable itching, followed by skin lesions and a persistent wound on her foot. The infection advanced, causing significant scarring and ultimately the loss of a toe on her left foot.

Her journey to diagnosis was arduous, spanning two years of various tests before a laboratory sample confirmed the fungal infection. Doctors identified the source as pigeon droppings, a revelation that surprised Marzano, who had lived with pigeons in her home for years.

“

They told me to go to the emergency room because what I had was too dangerous. They told me: 'You have contracted the cryptococcus fungus from pigeon droppings.' At that moment, I remembered the pigeons in my house. It was a surprise to me.

Previously supporting her family by selling food, Marzano now struggles with the physical aftermath and seeks assistance for a prosthetic. "I never thought that by handling pigeon droppings I would lose my finger," she stated, expressing her need for help to regain mobility and care for her children.

“

I never thought that by handling pigeon droppings I would lose my finger. I just want them to help me with a prosthesis.