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Pigeon Paramyxovirus-1 Was Confirmed in 10 of 39 Diseased Pigeons From Egypt

Pigeon keeper with several pigeons at a window in Cairo
Research · Disease, parasites & microbiology

Pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1), a pigeon-adapted variant of avian paramyxovirus type 1 that can cause neurological, digestive and respiratory disease, was confirmed in domestic pigeons from six Egyptian governorates in a field investigation published in 2026. The researchers examined 39 domesticated rock doves (Columba livia) aged 3–14 months that showed neurological or gastrointestinal signs and had been obtained from live-bird markets and private lofts.

The study was first published on 25 July 2026 in Veterinary Medicine International. The birds had been collected between April and September 2025 from seven governorates.

Neurological signs were common

More than 60% of the examined pigeons showed neurological signs, including tremors, torticollis (a twisted neck posture), abnormal upward head postures and circling. Greenish diarrhoea and conjunctivitis were also recorded. Post-mortem examination found lesions including brain haemorrhages, enlarged kidneys with petechiae, liver congestion, proventricular haemorrhage and lung congestion.

Virus RNA was detected in six governorates

The researchers first attempted virus isolation using embryonated chicken eggs and then tested the samples by reverse-transcription PCR targeting the fusion gene. This method converts viral RNA into DNA that can then be amplified and detected. Pigeon paramyxovirus-1 RNA was confirmed in 10 of the 39 pigeons, corresponding to 25.6% of the investigated cases.

Positive birds came from Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia, Fayoum, Minya and Alexandria. No positive sample was reported from Beni Suef in this material.

The authors describe their findings as field and laboratory evidence of the virus in diseased domestic pigeons from multiple Egyptian governorates and emphasise surveillance and biosecurity. They also recommend sequencing and phylogenetic analysis in future work to characterise the circulating virus strains more precisely.

Sources and image credit

  1. Field Investigation and Molecular Detection of Pigeon Paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1) in Domestic Pigeons (Columba livia) From Selected Egyptian GovernoratesPrimary open-access field study first published 25 July 2026. Thirty-nine domestic pigeons aged 3–14 months with neurological or gastrointestinal signs were examined. More than 60% showed neurological signs. RT-PCR confirmed PPMV-1 RNA in 10/39 birds (25.6%), with positive cases from Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia, Fayoum, Minya and Alexandria.

Image: A pigeon keeper feeding domestic pigeons at an old house overlooking Al-Moez and Al-Ghouriya streets in Cairo, Egypt, 7 August 2019. Photo: Abdelhamid Tahoun / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative image; the pigeons were not part of the reported study. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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