Poxvirus Infection in a Colony of Laboratory Pigeons (Columba livia)

Isolation and Molecular Detection of Pigeon Pox Virus in a Pigeon with Both Cutaneous and Diphtheritic Forms of Pigeon Pox in Ghana

“…The infected pigeon presented with both the cutaneous and diphtheritic forms. While it relatively common for the cutaneous form to occur [2,6,7,11,12,21,25,28,29] and the diphtheritic form is uncommon and usually associated with young animals [27,30,31]. The occurrence of both forms in a bird is a rarity [17,32].…”

“…Pigeon pox (PPV) is a poxvirus in the family Poxviridae and genus Avipoxvirus [1][2][3][4]. The genus is made of three main strains: Fowl pox virus (FPV), Canary pox virus (CPV) and PPV.…”

“…Pigeon pox virus is a double-stranded enveloped DNA virus causing mild to severe slow-spreading disease in infected pigeons [5][6][7]. Similar to poxviruses in other species, PPV is generally self-limiting, but can cause more severe disease in young or immunocompromised animals [2].…”

“…Transmission of the virus is usually by direct contact through skin abrasions, contaminated feed, water and eggs [8,9]. Mosquitoes, other insects and cannibalism have been implicated in mechanical transmission of the virus [2,8]. Non-specific clinical signs include dullness, depression, dehydration, emaciation and ruffled feathers, and only a few birds developing lesions at a time [10].…”

“…PPV leads to the formation of visible wart-like lesions known as pox scabs on mucous membranes and nonfeathered skin [10][11][12][13], and rarely neurologic signs [9]. The scabs can be the source of aerosol infection in poultry houses, resulting in respiratory tract infection [2]. The lesions may be described as dry/cutaneous or wet/diphtheritic.…”