Hello Steve: I just received word yesterday about the Australian situation from friends in Australia and New Zealand, as well as through Europe. At this time, details from the Canadian end are still sketchy about this problem but I believe that the three positive pigeons have been killed and the others are to be returned to Canada. I am concerned about the report that these three bvirds were positive for antibodies to avian influenza, since most scientific information I have says that pigeons appear to have an innate or built-in resistance to these viruses.

In general terms about Avian Influenza, I really have nothing very new - although I did receive an Email from Dr David Swayne when I asked him for an update on his investigations into the effects of avian influenza, specifically the current H5N1 strain, on pigeons. In July '05, he sent me the following:

From: Dr David Swayne, Laboratory Director, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Athens, Georgia, USA, quote:

"Dr. Erhardt Kaleta (Germany) recently published a review of Avian Influenza (AI) in pigeons and concluded, as I also believe, that pigeons are resistant to avian influenza viruses and have not been a reservoir or vector of the virus. Other studies have supported the resistance of pigeons to AI virus infections. Some people have confused die-offs in pigeons to avian influenza when paramyxovirus type 1 is a common cause of neurological disease and death in pigeons, and not avian influenza.

We have conducted experimental studies in pigeons using viruses isolated from dead pigeons in Thailand. Even direct inoculation of these viruses into nasal cavity of pigeons caused limited infections with between 60-80% of the pigeons not becoming infected. This suggests the mortality from H5N1 Highly Pathogenic AI virus in pigeons may have resulted from synergy (meaning a combined effect) between AI infection and some other pathogen.

The "illness in school children" is an unsubstantiated rumor. No AI virus was isolated from the children and I am unaware of any evidence of infection.

With this scientific information, it is unlikely that banning pigeons will have any impact on AI ecology and will not reduce the risk AI infections of poultry or humans. The primary species that have natural infections with AI viruses are wild ducks and shorebirds (turnstones, gulls, etc.). Columbiformes (pigeons) and passerines (generally, songbirds) are not reservoirs and they are rarely incidental hosts following spill-over of the viruses from infected domestic poultry." Unquote.

In being properly cautious about H5N1 and its current spread into eastern Europe, I believe that (while migration is still underway), we need to consider getting into lockdown mode at some point, especially if the virus is found in N America, keep pigeons confined to the loft (not even out in aviaries where they can be exposed to droppings, etc. from migrants, no shows, loft or poultry farm visits), etc.. For instance a big poultry show scheduled for early Nov in Edmonton, Alberta, has just been cancelled out of concerns about this virus. Also, this summer, the Dutch gov't ordered commercial poultry farms to confine their birds, apparently a very succesful move in preventing exposure to migrating birds and thus, possible exposure to this virus. It's also a very good idea to have birds vaccinated against paramyxovirus (PMV), so that in the event of an outbreak of a viral disease, PMV won't be involved.

At the moment, there is a lot of discussion on this topic on the Pipa website (www.pipa.be), so it wouldn't hurt for fanciers to tune in on that discussion for some good ideas. You will likely have to register, which is easy, then click on 'Discussions' near the upper left of the home page, then on 'Pigeon Related Stuff', then scroll down to 'Avian Influenza'. Hope these few comments help. Regards. Gord.

----- Original Message -----

From: Steve Earl

To: [email protected]

Sent: Friday, October 21, 2005 3:43 PM

Subject: Australia - Avian Influenza - Pigeons

Dr. Chalmers:

I read an article you wrote about the Avian Influenza and Pigeons back in April of 2004. At that time you had not heard of any pigeons that had developed antibodies for the Avian Influenza. I haven’t seen anything from you more recent than that on this topic. Maybe I don’t know where to look. I was reading the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) on the internet last night and ran into this article below. It states that a group of pigeons imported from Canada have tested positive for “Bird Flu” antibodies.

As the local Combine Race Secretary here in Idaho, I am getting a lot of fanciers asking me about the Avian Influenza, what they should expect, and if there is anything they can do. Do you have a more recent article you have written on the subject that you could send us?

Thanks.

Sydney Morning Herald

Pigeons test positive to bird flu exposure

By Samantha Selinger-Morris
October 21, 2005

One hundred and two pigeons exposed to the bird flu virus have been seized by Australian quarantine inspectors.

Inspectors said three of the birds, which were imported from Canada, had tested positive to bird flu antibodies and would be put down.

A spokesman for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, David Finlayson, said the birds posed "no risk to human health, no risk to bird life because quarantine facilities are a high- security, purpose-built facility designed for this very purpose".

He stressed that the birds did not have the disease.

The birds arrived in Melbourne last month and were put into quarantine for testing. The diagnosis was confirmed "some days ago". A highly contagious strain of avian influenza, H7, was found on a farm in Canada last year.

The federal Minister for Health, Tony Abbott, who this week said he was considering vaccinating Australia against bird flu, would not comment on the incident, saying it was a quarantine issue.

The chief veterinary officer, Gardner Murray, said last night the incident was not Australia's first brush with bird flu.

All NSW councils have been asked to identify possible sites to dispose of dead birds and to plan their response in the event of a bird flu outbreak in Australia.

Steve Earl - Secretary

East Idaho Racing Pigeon Combine

Idaho Falls, ID USA

208-542-2585 office & home 208-313-2420 cell