Pigeon adenovirus and pigeon torque teno virus associated with acute multifocal hepatic necrosis in pigeons in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

In 2018, an outbreak resulting in deaths of 28 breeding pigeons was reported north of Brisbane, Australia. The affected birds had runny nasal discharge and poor body condition. Two birds were submitted to Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory, Brisbane, for investigation. A range of diagnostic tests excluded a number of known pathogens, and no virus was isolated in cell culture. Histopathological examination revealed severe acute multifocal necrosis in the liver with eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) revealed full-length sequences for pigeon adenovirus 1 (PiAd-A) and pigeon torque teno virus (PTTV). This report indicates concomitant PiAd-1and PTTV infections in Australian pigeons.

A Pilot Study Investigating the Dynamics of Pigeon Circovirus Recombination in Domesticated Pigeons Housed in a Single Loft

“…During the transportation stops, the practice of joint feeding and watering birds from disparate lofts is a standard procedure and can create ideal conditions for the transmission and long-distance dissemination of various pathogens, especially viruses [ 10 ]. Multiple viruses have been associated and shown to infect pigeons, including those in the families Adenoviridae, Anelloviridae, Circoviridae , Herpesviridae, Paramyxoviruses , Parvoviridae , Picornaviridae and Reoviridae [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”