Australians - Where are you all????

[guinea fowl galore]

that must be Sooooo scary for you.
Does anybody know what the guesses are of how it got here? And how is it contracted ie. Method of transmission?

 

[guinea fowl galore]

I found this http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_paramyxovirus it's got the information but I don't really understand all of it.

 

[Animalian]

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Not sure how it got here, I spoke to an american who said it 'lives in the dirt" so if you have a bird die from it, not to bury it but have it sent away by a vet. It's wiped out peoples whole flocks of fancy pigeons here so maybe a hobbyist went overseas to look at pigeons and it came back in the infected dirt on their boots? I know customs can be funny if you have dirty shoes for that reason...

They're worried wild birds or racing pigeons will get it and spread it. Poultry farms around here are keeping their flocks indoors or undercover until vaccines are available. Its spread though contact with infected birds so that's why I want to keep mine inside because they often get doves hanging around stealing their feed.

Apparently symptoms are foamy poop, loss of muscle control/droopy head, then they just drop dead! People can rarely catch it off too but only get flu like symptoms and isn't lethal.

 

[Nicola]

From what i have read, it's only affecting pigeons and doves.

http://new.dpi.vic.gov.au/about-us/...naging-backyard-poultry-during-virus-outbreak
http://new.dpi.vic.gov.au/about-us/...ory/agriculture/virus-alert-for-pigeon-owners
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/n...ure-news-releases/pigeons-virus-hits-victoria

 

[wooklet]

Could all be rumours,but a poultry website is saying that someone smuggled some fancy pigeons in?
They have stopped all pigeon racing in Tasmania,and I hope that will be the case elsewhere! . Also hope that the vaccine will be affordable to us backyard breeders !

 

[Animalian]

Quote:
I believe they are "strongly suggesting" it is stopped everywhere. Hopefully that will be good enough

@Nicola yes it is only fancy pigeons so far but there is potential for it to spread, I'd hate to for my birds to be the next ones to get sick just because I was too lazy to bother with a preventative, I just need to work out how to do it cheaply! lol

 

[Nicola]

Quoting something from what someone said else where ....

The disease outbreak in pigeons has not been confirmed as Newcastle disease (it is a form of paramyxovirus (PMV), one form of PMV does cause Newcastle disease (ND) but there are many forms of this virus). To the best of my knowledge it is not known yet whether this form of the virus can infect poultry​

 

[Animalian]

Quote:

Lets hope that it can't!!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have been told that quarantine for pigeons is very different for other birds and poultry. I have no doubt that someone recently got a shipment including a sick pigeon. Kind of defeats the purpose of having boarder security at all when rules are more relaxed for one species over another. Hopefully this is brought under control quickly. Nicola- I think I know where your quote come from- and have been watching it closely. I think the main thing is just not to panic- but make sure that birds are not transported- Kind of annoying its happened just before the biggest auction of the year for me. I have been breeding extra ducks specifically for it- and now wonder what happens if the sale is cancelled. I guess just for now I will just be careful how many more eggs I set in the incubator.

 

[ChickenGirl165]

Hello from Melbourne. Nice to see all the Aussies here! Recently joined. Great to meet you all

I have 6 hens.