Veterinary Services

Rapidly escalating mortality occurred in a collection of fancy pigeons, and eventually almost every bird in the flock of 60 birds died. One bird was submitted for post mortem examination and was found to be thin, had many lice, and had plaques of necrotic debris in the oropharynx. Many of the cereal grains and seeds that the birds were being fed had small holes bored in them and were dusted with fine white powder, and adult weevils were distributed throughout the feed.

Virology subsequently demonstrated pigeon paramyxovirus 1 (PPMV-1) in the tissues of the bird submitted. The birds had not been vaccinated against PPMV-1 and a diagnosis of PPMV-1 exacerbated by poor feeding was made.

Numerous deaths were also reported in another loft of fancy pigeons. Trichomoniasis was diagnosed in the birds submitted for post-mortem examination, and virology for PPMV-1 was negative.

A thin feral pigeon that had entered a racing pigeon loft was culled and submitted for examination. The bird had watery intestinal contents containing many Spironucleus (Hexamita) species and histopathological examination of the bursa of Fabricius showed lesions typical of circovirus infection. The risk that feral pigeons pose to racing pigeons was clearly demonstrated.