Herpes (pigeon herpesvirus) in pigeons
Other names: Herpes، Cold
Symptoms
- Inflammation of the crop and larynx with small white/yellow membranes
- Nasal and eye discharge and sneezing
- Most adults are latent carriers
How it spreads
Parents to squabs during feeding, secretions, and stress reactivates the latent carriage.
Diagnosis
Appearance in the mouth + PCR. Differentiate from canker and diphtheria.
Treatment
Supportive + treat the secondary bacterial infection; antivirals are not commonly used. [Update 3] Harlin & Wade 2009: many pigeons carry the virus for life; pharyngitis and esophagitis may become necrotic, with sometimes neurological symptoms and regurgitation; often together with chlamydia. Treatment is supportive plus treating the accompanying infections.
Prevention
Reduce stress and keep clean. No common commercial vaccine.
Treatment and doses are decided by an avian vet after an exam; Zajel does not publish doses.
Other diseases
- Paramyxovirus (pigeon Newcastle disease)
- Pigeon pox
- Adenovirus type 1 (classical)
- Adenovirus type 2 (necrotizing hepatitis)
- Circovirus (pigeon circovirus)
- Young Bird Sickness syndrome (YBS)
- Pigeon rotavirus
- Avian influenza
Sources
- Vogel, Gehrke, Lehmann - 'Taubenkrankheiten' / Vogel & Gylstorff - standard German pigeon disease texts - not fetched
- pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov