PARAMYXOVIRUS
Exotic Foreign Doves & Pigeons, including the Ringneck and Diamond Doves are susceptible to this disease. Here is some data, which may be helpful to the fancier. This information does not take the place of the information from an avian vet.
Use the "killed virus type" vaccine from Maine Laboratories; Global Pigeon Supplies 1-800-562-2292 carries this vaccine. Most all of the pigeon & poultry supply companies also carry it. A ½ " 20 gauge needle is the recommended size.
Pigeons & Doves of average "pigeon size" would take 0.5 ml (1/2 ml) per bird. Ringnecks & similar sized doves take .025 ml (1/4 ml) per bird. Diamond Doves and similar sized doves take half of the Ringneck dosage.
Young birds: give initial injection at about 4 weeks old & the second booster 4-8 weeks apart. Older birds are vaccinated the same way – using the two vaccinations. Yearly vaccinations are recommended also.
Injection of the vaccine is made just under the skin. Many give it in the neck, in the insides of the leg & others inject it in the belly area. No matter where it is injected clean the area with alcohol before inserting the needle.
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.
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