Melbourne crisis looming

I don't like to be alarmist but I have a feeling that we're about to hit big trouble in Melbourne. I've known of the PMV threat for a while and I'm hearing patchy reports that don't quite add up to anyone making a declaration of it hitting Melbourne just yet (if you know more please tell).

My partner just picked up another pigeon in the same part of the same street as the last two rescues showing similar symptoms, largely starved and unable to fly off. Very docile. The first rescue didn't make it. The second one we are still caring for and she's slowly improving but still on the edge. SHe also had terrible cankers which I see no signs of in this third one. We've got the best quarantine happening we can manage but it will ultimately fail as we're not set up for 100% control of viruses.

I'm thinking since they were found in the same spot, they're the same flock? And therefore likely exposed to the same stuff? Does it work that way?

My big concern of course is that this is just the beginning of an innundation that we have no capacity to handle.

That's very worrying... it does sound like an entire flock may have been affected, if other pigeons from the same area are appearing with the same symptoms.

As an emergency measure, you could take your pigeons that don't have (and never had) any symptoms of PMV to the vet to be vaccinated against it. But bear in mind that vaccination only exists for Paramyxovirosis proper, and the vaccinated pigeons won't be protected against other strains or other viruses. (EDIT: I don't think it's available there yet, see the post below).

Still as an emergency measure, if you have more than one pigeon with PMV, it's less important to keep them separated from each other than to keep them separated from your healthy birds. If it came to the crunch, with several PMV patients, I would put them in the same room together, and keep the others entirely separate. I'll probably get shot down in flames for saying that, but if you haven't got room, then you haven't got room, and it's best to do this than to leave them in the street...
Remember that the virosis usually takes 6 weeks to run its course. After that the pigeon is no longer shedding the virus from his mouth and nose (but may need a bath to get rid of any deposited on the feathers), and more importantly, survivors become immune to further infection. They may show some long-term symptoms, but they won't be infected by the virus a second time.

Canker is much more dangerous. The protozoan usually coexists with the pigeon in some kind of equilibrium, and when illness or injury disrupt that equilibrium then the pigeon will develop the full-blown form of the infection, Trichomoniasis. Lumps in the aesophagus and crop may prevent him from eating, or prevent the food from passing through into the intestines, and lumps in the trachea, when large enough, can suffocate the bird. Other organs may also be infected. Young birds are especially susceptible to it, and in nestlings a swollen, yellow protuberance in the navel area is also a form of canker.

I'll be keeping you and your pigeons in my thoughts and prayers.

I found this: http://www.anpa.com.au/tag/pmv/

PMV update from Victoria

Posted in Affilated clubs, ANPA Members, National Shows, News, Uncategorized. on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 by Brad

Tags: disease, fancy pigeons, paramyxovirus, PMV, show pigeons
Dec
21 PMV 1 update: 22 December 2011 Time: 12:00 hrs. Issued by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries for the pigeon and related industries.

Situation Analysis

• There are 55 properties in Victoria where the virus has been confirmed in pigeons that are sick or have died, located around Shepparton and Melbourne suburbs. Of those, 38 have now been resolved.

• There have been three more confirmed case of Paramyxovirus 1 (PMV1) in feral pigeons. There has also been three more suspect cases of PMV1 in feral pigeons across Melbourne. All of these suspect cases were within 5 kilometres of a previously confirmed positive PMV1 case in the feral pigeon population. To date, feral pigeons in fifteen locations in Melbourne have tested positive to PMV1.

• The last confirmed case of PMV1 occurred on 21 December 2011.

• New reports of sickness and death in pigeons continue to be investigated by DPI.

However, most activities are now associated with releasing infected properties from quarantine.

Most of the official discussions center on the acquisition of the PMV-1 vaccine, so it looks as though it isn't available in Australia yet...

I don't know how the authorities are "resolving" this problem, but it doesn't sound good... If culling is involved, it's very possible some of the racers with affected lofts may set their birds free to take their chances outside rather than be culled.

I just had a call from my girlfriend who works in the street where these pigeons have all been found (she found two of them) and she said there is not a single pigeon visible in the street and hasn't been all day. She was wondering whether poisoning might secretly be going on.

The latest rescue from my earlier post is quite a young bird, only just starting to develop that irridescence on the neck. Her keel bone was almost bursting through her chest she was so emaciated. She doesn't seem to have balance issues now but still isn't able to fly.

I hope they're not resorting to killing pigeons in areas known to be affected... but the secrecy surrounding this doesn't bode well. I suppose we should be thankful that doctors don't cull their patients every time there's a flu epidemic, but I just wish that people stopped treating animals like disposable commodities!

Most cases I've seen of incredibly thin birds that weren't at death's door, they had a bad case of worms and recovered well after being wormed. The best pigeon wormer in the world is made right there in Australia, and it's called Moxidectin Plus -- that would be ace as part of your first-aid kit!

That's brilliant! Consider it done.

StrikerThePurpleFrog wrote:

That's brilliant! Consider it done.

I hope your patients are better and that the apparent PMV epidemic has run its course by now and no more pigeons become ill.