Disease Summary Notes

Signs

Month:- 01/12/1999 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- (not given); Dove. Sudden death of approx. 20/50, and in addition to torticollis some had also shown respiratory signs.

Month:- 01/12/1999 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- 6 months; Racing Pigeons. Deaths. Unvaccinated. Positive titres.

Month:- 01/02/2000 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- (not given); Racing Pigeons. 10 out of a group of 25 died over a 2 week period. Nervous signs, lethargy and diarrhoea. No vaccination had been carried out. Confirmed.

Month:- 01/02/2000 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- (not given); Dove from Jersey - one of several birds that had died. Diarrhoea and some nervous signs. Confirmed.

Month:- 01/02/2000 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- (Adult); Feral White Doves. Various degrees of inco-ordination. Confirmed.

Month:- 20/11/2000 Breed:- Doves Age:- Not known; 5 doves out of a group of 20 died and a further bird had signs of torticollis and inco-ordinated preening. Paramyxovirus was isolated on culture. The birds were also positive serologically and they had not been vaccinated.

Month:- 01/05/2001 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- 5w; 10 out of 75 with tremor and torticollis - suspect PMV. Vaccinated at 3 weeks? Low PMV HI titres, no PMV on virus isolation but reovirus was recovered and the bursa contained circovirus. Circovirus is a diseases of young pigeons. Mortality variable up to 100%. Clinical signs and mortality due to secondary infections following immunosuppression.

Month:- 01/01/2002 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- 12 months; Ataxia and torticollis. Paramyxiovirus was isolated.

Month:- 01/05/2002 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- Not known; Inco-ordination and torticollis. This was from a mixed population of vaccinated and unvaccinated birds with mainly the young non vaccinated birds being affected. Paramyxovirus Type 1 was isolated.

Month:- 01/08/2002 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- NS; The bird had diarrohea and was "going light". Post mortem confirmed an enteritis and pigeon paramyxovirus was isolated from brain and trachea. This was a case of enteritis without obvious neurological signs as a result of paramyxovirus infection.

Month:- 01/01/2006 Breed:- Doves Age:- NS; The carcases of 6 collared doves were submitted via the local Animal Health Office as part of our current wild bird die off surveillance for avian influenza. Small numbers of birds had been found dead over the preceding month with several birds seen to be hunched and reluctant to fly. AlI 6 carcases were in good bodily condition With food material present within the crops and gizzards. Gross post mortem examination was unremarkable and no Salmonella organisms were isolated from pooled small intestinal culturing. Appropriate samples were harvested for avian influenza testing and these were "fast track'' tested at VLA Weybridge. Following passage in embryonated eggs and cell cultures a haemagglutinating agent was isolated which was identified as pigeon paramyxovirus type 1. The local DVM was notified accordingly.

Month:- 01/01/2006 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- NS; Nine out of a group of 25 garden fantail pigeons were reportedly affected with loose droppings and one bird was seen to fall off its perch. Clinical examination of submitted live birds revealed varying degrees of tremor, particularly of the head, inco-ordination, head tilt and green staining around the vent. A suspicion of Paramyxovirus infection was confirmed by the isolation of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 and positive PMV antibody titres.

Month:- 01/02/2006 Breed:- Doves Age:- NS; Pigeon Paramyxovirus type 1 was diagnosed as the cause of high mortalities in collared doves

Month:- 01/02/2006 Breed:- Doves Age:- NS; Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 was isolated from a group of wild collared doves that were submitted after being found dead.

Month:- 01/05/2006 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- NS; Pigeon Paramyxovirus type 1 was isolated from selected tissues of a pigeon submitted from a loft in which lethargy and death was affecting young birds in particular. Grossly there was splenomegaly and mottled kidneys.

Month:- 01/02/2007 Breed:- Pigeon Age:- NS; Submissions from wild birds included feral pigeons from east Somerset with a history malaise and greenish scour preceding death. Paramyxovirus was confirmed as the cause of these deaths.