Investigations into feather abnormalities in racing pigeons

Abstract

SummaryThe present study reports cases of feather abnormalities in young racing pigeons from four different lofts. The pigeons from the first three sources were characterized by among other things loss of feathers, stunted feathers, vane discoloration, feather dystrophy. In pigeons from the fourth loft, vanes were unevenly developed, while the shafts in wing feathers were narrow and had an hourglass appearance. Investigation revealed a history of pox, vaccination and deworming in some cases. Clinical, microbiological, parasitological examinations, hematology, PCR assays, necropsy and histopathology were performed. The presence of Eimeria spp., Trichomonas spp., and single Columbicola columbae were demonstrated. Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) DNA was confirmed in tissues and affected feathers of pigeons from the first three sources. Histopathology revealed the lymphoid depletion and the presence of the pathognomonic inclusion bodies in the bursa of Fabricius. In the fourth loft, a paramyxovirus infection (APMV-1) was confirmed by RT-PCR. The microscopic lesions in the feathers were similar, despite their different macroscopic appearance compared to previous cases. It seems that feather abnormalities may be the effect of a combination of several factors (infectious and non-infectious).

The epidemiology, molecular characterization and clinical pathology of circovirus infections in pigeons – current knowledge

“…Pigeon nestlings exhibit feathering complications, including lack of feather growth (in particular tail and wing feathers as well as larger covert feathers), deformed and depigmented feathers. Feathered birds may experience problems during successive feathering, including stunted growth of feathers to the length of 3-4 cm, necrosis and shedding of newly developed feathers which are often found on the floor of dovecotes (Dolka et al 2016).…”

“…The PiCV also targets other organs of the immune system, including the thymus and spleen (Woods et al 1993;Smyth & Caroll 1995;Coletti et al 2000;Soike et al 2001;Scullion & Scullion 2007). The virus or its genetic material have also been detected in the liver, kidneys, intestines, brain and skin (Smyth & Caroll 1995;Smyth et al 2001;Soike et al 2001;Ledwo n et al 2011;Stenzel & Pestka 2014;Dolka et al 2016). PiCV replicates in fast proliferating cells (epithelial cells) and immune system cells (lymphocytes and macrophages), and in this respect, it is similar to the psittacine circovirus (beak and feather disease virus, BFDV) .…”

Immunogenicity of Pigeon Circovirus Recombinant Capsid Protein in Pigeons

“…The immune organs are not the only ones that are infected with PiCV. The virus or its genetic material has been detected in the liver, kidneys, intestines, brain, and skin, and recently even in the gizzard, third eyelid, and thyroid gland [ 4 , 15 , 16 ]. The main consequence of PiCV infection is the atrophy of immune system organs.…”

Pigeon Circovirus over Three Decades of Research: Bibliometrics, Scoping Review, and Perspectives

“…Within the first decade after the short report of Schmidt [ 1 ], retrieved records showed detection of the virus in several other countries including Northern Ireland [ 16 , 34 , 69 , 70 ], Germany [ 15 , 44 ], Italy [ 31 , 71 ], France [ 72 ], Belgium [ 30 , 33 , 34 ], and Japan [ 21 , 38 ]. Meanwhile, between 2003 and 2012, researchers in Czech Republic [ 29 , 32 ], Poland [ 36 , 58 , 67 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ], Denmark [ 30 ], Slovenia [ 81 , 82 ], Hungary [ 66 , 83 ], United Arab Emirates [ 84 ], Libya [ 85 ], Nigeria [ 83 , 86 ], and Taiwan [ 59 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 ] reported first local detections of PiCV. Lastly, during the most recent decade of PiCV research, new publications and reports were also produced from Brazil [ 40 ], Iran [ 94 , 95 ], Iraq […”