Bird Breeder's Lung is a disease that primarily affects pigeon breeders, but can also be linked to chickens, turkeys, parakeets, down, moldy hay, sawdust, grain or excessive fungal growth on the walls (Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis, n.d.). Diagnosing the disease can be a difficult task. Patients suffering from the disease will develop flu-like symptoms, coughing and shortness of breath. Crackles may be heard in the lungs and pulmonary function tests show a restrictive abnormality (Davis, 1983). The most effective treatment is to avoid all contact with the causative agent. If bird breeder's lung is not detected early, the patient's chances of improvement are extremely limited and the disease could even become fatal. The pigeon fantasy can be traced back hundreds of years. The ancient Greeks used pigeons to carry messages. Pigeon messaging was also used to aid the British during World War II. Eventually men in Britain decided to start racing birds to demonstrate their abilities as superior pigeon breeders. These highly intelligent birds are trained to use their homing instinct to return to their lofts even from hundreds of miles away. The official British endurance record is 1,173 miles in 15 days, and the fastest race speed ever recorded is 110.07 miles per hour (Bourke, 1997). Obviously an animal of this caliber will require many hours of training which can lead to serious health risks for the pigeon breeder. During the late 19th and 20th centuries, pigeon racing was a very popular sport among working-class men in the industrial districts of the South. Wales, central Scotland and northern England (Johnes, 2007). The pigeon loft was used as an escape from the monotony and pressures of life... middle of paper... allergic antigens capable of causing the development of the bird breeder's lung. Symptoms of this disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath, a non-wheezing crackle in the lungs, and fatigue. Bird keeper's lung can be prevented by wearing a protective respiratory mask, appropriate work clothes, avoiding transporting birds in the back seat of a vehicle. vehicle and limiting the total amount of time spent inside the pigeon loft. If all these procedures are followed, the pigeon breeder should not be forced to abandon the hobby. Pigeon breeders are extremely passionate and committed to the sport and most are willing to take the risk of health factors to continue participating in pigeon racing. The history of this sport, born in a working-class society, is still strong. Today there are around 83,000 registered pigeon breeders in Great Britain (Bourke, 1997).