# Update on "PMV on my little feral flock"



## whitetail (Apr 17, 2008)

Hi Everyone,

I wrote about a month ago about one of my ferals being the first reported PMV in the feral population in NSW and about the fear I felt about maybe loosing all my birds, well a month has gone by and all are still around and looking good. I do know that a couple did have mild symptoms (very watery poos and being fluffed up) but they came once a day and ate and seemed to get through OK. I'm really very surprised that all in my group have been fine because I'm sure my place would have been contaminated before I was even aware of the problem and the birds would have picked up the virus. I'm very happy but not taking anything for granted. I think the warm summer weather helps if pigeons are sick. PMV hit Melbourne in winter time, I think, and maybe that's why so many died there. I was reading about the PMV in the Hong Kong flock and thought that it's winter there now and that wouldn't help.

Anyways, I wanted to share this positive note, hopefully, if exposed a little, they build immunity and fight it off.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Oh thank you SO much whitetail!!. I can't thank you enough for this update.

I didn't actually realise it was you on other thread about your one eyed pigeon, so sorry! I've been meaning to write to you and ask how your flock are going. I've been worried sick QLD dropped their `no pigeon movement' laws , as of December 12, and so the virus will follow shortly, like it did in NSW. And the state is out of vaccine, so my Vet says.

So, do you think that by removing the infected pigeons with PMV, that the others were spared catching it? Or do you get the feeling the PMV went through the flock, and they probably did develop some immunity on their own?

Well done getting the sick ones out of the flock so early. I'll bet you helped a lot, with having your birds healthy before it hit. And with the warmer weather too, like you said.


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Wow, this is great news! Thanks for the update!


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## whitetail (Apr 17, 2008)

Hi Bella,

By the time Sake was sick and put to sleep I figured that all my little group had already been exposed one way or the other and that my place was already contaminated as well so it was simply too late to do anything so I just let it be. I was so overwhelmed then that I couldn't think straight. I did make sure though that they had tons of food available and specially peas because they're so full of protein. I did wash up what I could but I knew the virus would still be around. I didn't isolate the two which I saw were presenting some of the symptoms, I could tell that they weren't feeling well but they did come once a day and eat and within a week I knew they had conquered it. I did ring the guy at the DPI to ask a few questions and I mentioned these two and he sounded really positive, he kind of said "don't worry, they might all be fine". He also told me that the virus spreads mostly through dandruff. 

I think you have done really well vaccinating as many as you can. Maybe it wont be as bad as in Melbourne, I really do think that the cold negatively affects an already sick bird. The other thing that the DPI told me was that the virus lives longer in the cold, if exposed to summer sun the virus is dead within 30 minutes.

Even though it seems fine in my group at the moment, I'm not taking anything for granted. If the situation changes, I'll deal with it in the moment, it's so hard to plan for these things.

I also have been thinking about you and how you were dealing with your group. I'm so hoping that maybe this virus might be changing and not be so virulent here in Australia.

Please feel free to contact me through email, if I can help with anything, I'll be more than happy!


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Thank you so much, your reports are so valuable to me, and probably to anyone else looking for this kind of information.

Its interesting what the fellow from the DPI said about the virus dying in the sun. That could explain a few things, for sure.

And don't worry about how you handled everything, you did your best under very stressful conditions. I know when I'm going through it here, I'll totally lose it when I start to see birds die and I have to somehow strike a balance between keeping them all well and fed, and somehow disinfecting the area.

Thanks for being there! I hope you find your one eyed girl again and that shes ok. She might be sitting on eggs possibly? If she's the hen she'll only be off the eggs during the middle of the day.


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## whitetail (Apr 17, 2008)

Bella,
I'll be thinking about you and your little ones up there in QLD. I'll be posting any new developments in my group concerning the PMV.
Thanks for being so understanding and all the best!


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## longlive_pigeon (Aug 17, 2012)

Thank you whitetail and Bella. Your stories are very positive and convince me that it is not hopeless facing the battle against PMV. One thing to ask, isn't winter helpful to cease PMV? John mentioned in his reply to my post that most PMV is found in warm and humid weather. Winter should be cooler and dryer to inactivate the PMV virus??? In HongKong case, I first noticed my birds contracting PMV in September which is still hot (avg temp. >30 degreeC). The disease gradually died out in late October to early November, with weather getting cooler (avg temp. <26) but still wet. I don't know if the disappearance of disease is due to my removal of all 3 PMV birds to my friend's home, or due to change in weather.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

longlive_pigeon said:


> One thing to ask, isn't winter helpful to cease PMV? John mentioned in his reply to my post that most PMV is found in warm and humid weather. Winter should be cooler and dryer to inactivate the PMV virus??? In HongKong case, I first noticed my birds contracting PMV in September which is still hot (avg temp. >30 degreeC). The disease gradually died out in late October to early November, with weather getting cooler (avg temp. <26) but still wet. I don't know if the disappearance of disease is due to my removal of all 3 PMV birds to my friend's home, or due to change in weather.


Thats a good question, actually. I double checked, and it does appear that colder climates allow the virus to stay in the environment longer, but oddly, also at temps above 37 degrees. So that may explain what you saw in Hong Kong?

But the assertion that the virus lives only 30 minutes in the sun is incorrect. This is the correct information (from John's partner, Feefo)

*PMV Environment persistance:

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:

Quote:
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).*


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