Experts agree breathing duck waste hazardous
Letters to the EditorPublished October 19, 2005
Re: An issue for lawmakers to duck, Oct. 16 column
I think you missed the point about Muscovy ducks being just a nuisance to the residents of Jasmine Lakes caused by the fact that inconsiderate people are feeding the ducks instead of letting them forage for their food. As a result, the Muscovy ducks leave feces all over the place. The 83 residents of Jasmine Lakes are asking the commissioners to pass an ordinance so that people will stop having feeding stations in the back yards with the intent that it will serve as a deterrent if one has to pay a fine.
The research that was done for this problem reaches out to many departments within the state, not just as a whim to the residents. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has stated that the only solution to this problem is to stop feeding the ducks. Eventually they will go to the ponds and lakes in the area where nature has provided them a habitat, not on people's lawns. It is not the intent of Jasmine Lakes to intentionally harm these ducks, only to stop feeding them.
The Muscovy ducks are not native to Florida and have been brought in from South America. The dried-up feces from these ducks are causing health problems for the elderly and all who have respiratory problems. This is a health hazard that has been documented by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Perhaps it would have been beneficial for you to do some investigating into this problem instead of making light of it. These ducks fly and are considered wildlife. Some of these nonnative wildlife can cause a bacterial infection in humans, from dried feces ingested in the air, called Chlamydophila psittaci. Infected birds shed the bacteria through feces and nasal discharges, and humans become infected from exposure to these materials. The Chlamydophila psittaci can affect organ systems other than the respiratory tract and result in endocarditic, myocarditis, hepatitis, arthritis, keratoconjunctivitis and encephalitis. Severe illness with respiratory failure, thrombocytopenia, hepatitis and fetal death has been reported among pregnant women. This information is from the American Veterinary Medical Association Web site, www.avma.org
With the onslaught of the bird flu knocking on the doors of Europe and Asia, it is only a matter of time before the United States has to be looking at this problem. Perhaps you should be giving the residents of Jasmine Lakes credit for warning about the possibility of an epidemic in our own back yards. Perhaps Daffy, Donald or his nephews Huey, Dewey, Louie and you will not be laughing at this problem any longer.
-- Judi Barrett, Bayonet Point
Antiduck feeding initiative wouldn't affect public parks
Re: Ordinance might end crackers for quacks, Oct. 13
The residents of Jasmine Lakes, who signed the petition requesting an ordinance to prohibit feeding Muscovy ducks, specifically requested that the ordinance pertain to Jasmine Lakes subdivision. We never sought to outlaw feeding ducks in public parks.
Indeed, it is our belief that if you want to feed the ducks, the park is the proper place. We object to people who insist on feeding Muscovy ducks in our neighborhood. These people do not care that their activity is causing aggravation for those who must, on a daily basis, clean up the feces deposited on our driveways, walkways and open patios. This situation is a health hazard in progress. Experts say the dust from dried duck feces can cause respiratory problems for people, especially asthmatics.
The penalty of a $500 fine for feeding the Muscovy ducks would cause these inconsiderate people to rethink their current, blatant disregard for their neighbors.
-- Pamela Boccaccio, Port Richey