12/28/2023 0 Comments Ninox alignmentBecause CoHV-1 causes disease in wild raptors, it has the potential to have significant ecological impacts and in Canada has been shown to cause persistent mortality in urban and peri-urban Great Horned Owls ( Bubo virginianus Rose et al. While originally thought to be separate viruses ( Maré and Graham 1973 Kaleta 1990), it is now known that most of these infections are caused by CoHV-1. Historically, systemic herpesvirus infections have been seen in some captive hawks and owls that have been fed pigeons ( Pinkerton et al. 2011) and wild species of birds ( Gailbreath and Oaks 2008 Woźniakowski et al. The CoHV-1 has a remarkably broad host range and infects and has caused mortality in a number of captive ( Kunkle and Duhamel 1991 Phalen et al. Genetic studies using the DNA polymerase gene show that this virus contains very limited genetic variation no matter the species or geographic origin ( Rose et al. The virus also appears to be widespread in feral pigeons and whether this is the result of spread from domestic birds to feral birds, or whether this virus has always been present in feral pigeons is not known ( Marlier and Vindevogel 2006). The movement of subclinical carrier birds between lofts locally and internationally is the likely source of CoHV-1 dissemination. Horizontal infection between parent and young occurs but the young do not develop disease, possibly because of passive transfer of antibody and, as a result, there has been the establishment of large populations of subclinical carrier birds ( Vindevogel and Pastoret 1980 Marlier and Vindevogel 2006). Birds that survive infection remain subclinically infected. When introduced into a naïve or immunosuppressed population of pigeons, CoHV-1 causes a multisystemic disease with high mortality ( Raue et al. 1945) and has subsequently been documented in pigeon lofts from around the world ( Phalen et al. This virus was first described in the domestic pigeon or Rock Dove ( Columba livia) lofts in the US in 1945 ( Smadel et al. One such virus is the columbid herpesvirus-1 (CoHV-1). 1999 Hofmeister 2011) and birds (West Nile virus Hofmeister 2011). 2010), to mammals (canine distemper virus, West Nile virus Packer et al. Spillover into native avian predator species may be occurring.Įmerging viral diseases have had significant impacts on both domestic and wild animals ranging from amphibians (ranavirus Robert 2010) and fish (iridovirus Whittington et al. Our data suggest that CoHV-1 is widespread in feral pigeon flocks in Australia but we did not find it in native doves and pigeons. This is the first known case of CoHV-1 causing death in a wild bird of prey in Australia. We describe a fatal infection of CoHV-1 in a wild Powerful Owl ( Ninox strenua) that was observed feeding on feral pigeons. Oral swabs from Australian native doves and pigeons ( n=18) and the introduced Collared Dove ( Streptopelia chinensis n=2) were also tested by the nested PCR and all were negative for CoHV-1 DNA. Most positive birds could be detected with a single-amplification PCR, but a nested amplification was required to detect others. Infection was found in all five of the flocks examined and the prevalence of infection ranged from 70% to100%. The sensitivity of testing oral swabs was the same as testing the tissue, indicating that testing of oral swabs from live birds is an effective means of screening flocks for CoHV-1 infection. We detected CoHV-1 DNA in oral mucosa and cloacal mucosa, with higher concentrations in the oral mucosa. Fifty-three feral pigeons from five flocks in Australia ( n=3 from south-central Victoria and n=2 from Sydney) were examined for CoHV-1 DNA. We used a PCR assay to detect CoHV-1 DNA in oral and cloacal tissues and oral swabs from naturally infected pigeons. Columbid herpesvirus-1 (CoHV-1) is widespread in feral pigeons in North America and Europe.
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