# PMV-how long active?



## AliBlack (Sep 8, 2003)

Can anyone remind me how long the PMV virus can remain active once outside the body, ie on poop particles? 6 weeks? Or longer?
And the Pigeon PMV can't be transmitted to corvids or songbirds? They have different strains?

Thanks!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Ali,

Pigeons shed PMV in their faeces for 6 weeks, but it can remain in the fecal dust a lot longer. From what I have read it depends on the temperature but as a rough guide:

In lake water :19 days
In the soil: 22 days
In buried carcases 121 days.
On the feathers: 123 days

That is why we have to dispose of faeces and any corpses wisely (I use towels for cage linings which can be washed with bleach). I think that Boddy and Ridewood have a product that destroys the virus after it has been shed. Will do further research.

My source is about the persistence of Newcastles Disease, but I assume that PMV is the same or very similar:



> Newcastle disease is caused by a paramyxovirus that is stable outside the host. Although warm temperatures and sunlight speed inactivation of
> Newcastle disease virus (NDV), the virus is quite resistant to changes in pH and heat. As temperatures get lower from 37EC, the virus survives longer in the environment. Years are required to inactivate the virus at 8EC and freezing does notinactivate the virus (Beard 1984). As temperatures rise above 37EC, the virus survives for longer periods of time. It has remained stable at 50EC for 134 days (Ritchie 1995). NDV can remain active in moist soil for 22 days, on feathers at 20EC for 123 days and in lake water for 19 days(Ritchie 1995). The virus is excreted in high concentrations in the feces, which provides a stablemedium for virus survival outside the host. It has been isolated from buried carcasses after 121days (Ritchie 1995).


I am uncertain about what other birds than catch the PMV Pigeon strain, I thought it was posted here somewhere. Maybe I read it in the Les Stocker book?

Cynthia
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## Nooti (Mar 14, 2002)

The following is from the Internet:
PARAMYXOVIRUS: Caused by a strain of P.M.V. 1 NEWCASTLE DISEASE A disease of which there are many strains and various degrees of virulence. Symptoms are many and varied, sometimes several together, other times singular. Watery feces, slimy green/brown feces, nervousness, lack of co-ordination, falling backwards, misjudging distance, fear of sudden noise, reaction to bright light, torsion of neck, complete twisting movement of neck, inability to pick up grain immediately etc. NO CURE but recovery after nursing and convalescence after 10-14 weeks. Mortality / fatality rate dependant upon viral strain contracted. Some strains may kill within days but extremely rare. Most strains result in recovery and future immunity for the individual although some may demonstrate continued nervousness for up to two years. Parental immunity cannot be transferred to young so natural immunity is impossible. Some immune individuals may become susceptible once again after several years of none contact. The immune system rejects unused or unrequired defenses periodically whilst updating its armory. The disease has an incubation period of 8-12 weeks after which the symptoms begin to appear. During this period the pigeons are infective to others. The symptoms are actually the onset of recovery, which takes another 8-14 weeks. Immunity is passed from immune parent to nestlings, however this immunity only lasts for 3 weeks. Youngsters should be vaccinated at 21-28 days old. Prevention is via vaccination for both young and old but, 14 days must be allowed for vaccination to become affective; immunity is not immediate and also builds and wanes over a period of ten months full effectiveness (not 12 months as many imagine) Not all pigeons contract Paramyxovirus, some are resistant, possibly due to having contracted a mild but unnoticed strain at some previous time. However, this is not an argument for none vaccination. Experience of this disease is extremely distressing and annual preventative vaccination of all owned pigeons is to be desired. The disease may be spread as airborne, fancier borne or contact borne, so aviary prisoner stock are not exempt from risk! Vaccination is ineffective against the disease once the pigeon is in the stages of incubation of virus. Recovered birds do not remain as carriers of the present pigeon related strain of P.M.V. However, virus do mutate so all information available may be subject to revision in future.

Looks like there's 9 strains now -
Representatives of paramyxoviruses isolated from waterfowl in the U.S.A., goose/Delaware/1053/76, and Japan, pintail/Wakuya/20/78, were shown to be serologically closely related but distinct from other avian paramyxoviruses. Another isolate, from domestic ducks in the U.S.A., was shown to be representative of a further distinct serotype of avian paramyxoviruses. We propose that, in the current system of nomenclature these serotypes be designated PMV-8, for which the prototype strain would be PMV-8/goose/Delaware/1053/76 and PMV-9, for which the prototype strain would be PMV-9/domestic duck/New York/22/78.

PMV-1 consists of NDV and related strains that are serologically, molecular biologically and pathogenically unique. They are found in Columbiformes and some Psittaciformes. Strain-specific monoclonal antibodies are necessary to distinguish infection caused by these strains of PMV-1, which have been divided into nine distinct groups.8 Group P contains the pigeon isolates, which are no longer considered to be classic NDV. 

Newcastle Disease

NDV is distributed worldwide with the possible exception of the various islands of Oceania. Birds from these islands should be considered immunologically naive with respect to NDV. NDV is serologically uniform and isolates are divided based on their virulence and epizootiologic importance (velogenic, mesogenic or lentogenic). These divisions are applicable only to the domestic chicken. Virulence is host-specific and varies considerably with experimental infections in other species.46 The host spectrum includes hundreds of species from at least 27 orders.195 Susceptibility and the clinical course of disease are highly variable between species and apparently depend on the epitopes and the enzymatic status of the host. Birds of all ages are susceptible to infection. Although overheating may be a triggering factor, no real seasonal peaks have been described. Table 32.15 shows the susceptibility of a variety of orders.91,148 Some mammals are susceptible to NDV, and humans may develop a severe conjunctivitis. 

Transmission

Virus enters the host mainly through the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Embryos can be infected if their shells are contaminated with virus. Vertical transmission can occur, but is rare with velogenic strains because viremic hens usually stop laying. Lentogenic and apathogenic NDV might be egg transmitted via the vitelline membrane. This route of transmission is thought to occur regularly following vaccination with live lentogenic strains (Hitchner B1). Although virus can be found in respiratory secretions, the main route of viral shedding is the feces. Mechanical vectors that may spread the virus include wind, insects, equipment and humans. Immune birds can function as carriers and intermittently shed virus. Persistent infections are limited to weeks or months. The most common carriers (reservoirs) include free-ranging waterfowl, Pittidae, Psittaciformes, some Passeriformes and Strigiformes. 21,45,59,90,157,158,183, 249,269,296,354,366,394 

It's a long post but hope this helps a little.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Ali, if you are worried about lurking infection check out Disinfect-Air-Total from Boddy and Ridewood .

Cynthia


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