Two deaths at a hospital in Scotland have been linked to an airborne fungal disease commonly associated with pigeon droppings.


Two deaths at a hospital in Scotland have been reportedly linked to an airborne fungal disease commonly associated with pigeon droppings.
According to the Guardian, the fatalities occurred at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where it is believed the patients contracted the Cryptococcus infection after the bird droppings somehow made their way into a non-public room containing machinery. 
Though officials declined to share details about the deaths citing confidentiality, one case involving an elderly person may have been caused by other factors, and the other is being investigated, notes the BBC.
A spokesperson for the U.K.'s NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has since tried to allay fears about the fungus, saying: "The organism is harmless to the vast majority of people and rarely causes disease in humans." 
In the wake of the deaths, the hospital has cleaned the potentially contaminated room, installed extra air filters in certain areas, and started providing precautionary treatments to some vulnerable patients.