Among the emerging avian viruses, one of the most feared is pigeon-type paramyxovirus (PPMV1), a pathogen likely native to the Middle East that affects pigeons and other bird species, including poultry.
According to reports from The Sun, the Society for Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals of Jersey, an island in the English Channel, has reported “an increase in the number of pigeons recovered in recent weeks, which have shown neurological signs such as twisted necks and unable to stand. on the paws “. The viral infection, known as Newcastle disease (ND), name taken from the city where it was first identified in 1927, and also called avian pseudopest, can in fact transform pigeons into “zombie” -like creatures which, in addition to having deformed necks, are “generally thin and have green feces” specified the operators of the animal rescue service of the British agency. “Sometimes, they also show injuries resulting from being unable to balance or fly anymore.” The disease, extremely contagious in birds, spreads mainly through direct contact with secretions and droppings of infected birds, and can also be transmitted to humans.
In humans, avian paramyxovirus type 1 infection causes generally mild illness, which can result in mild fever, flu-like symptoms and / or conjunctivitis, which usually resolves within a week. However, as documented in a research article published in the journal Veterinary Research, two fatal cases of human infection have been reported so far, one in the United States and one in the Netherlands, both in immunocompromised patients who have developed severe pneumonia.
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