Emergency report

Information received on 7 November 2003 from Prof. Dr Peter Weber, Chief Veterinary Officer, Federal Ministry for Social Security and Generations, Vienna:

Date of the report: 7 November 2003.

Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory.

Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 27 September 2003.

Estimated date of first infection: 20 September 2003.

Outbreaks:

Description of affected population:

- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: hobby flock of 200 homing pigeons.

- Outbreak in Waidhofen an der Thaya: hobby flock of 38 pigeons.

Total number of animals in the outbreaks:

Diagnosis:

A. Laboratory where diagnosis was made: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Control⁽¹⁾, Mödling.

B. Diagnostic tests used: virus isolation; haemagglutination inhibition test.

C. Causal agent: pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1).

- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: intracerebral pathogenicity index=1.12.

- Outbreak in Waidhofen an der Thaya: intracerebral pathogenicity index=1.05.

Epidemiology:

A. Source of agent / origin of infection: contact with wild pigeons. The owner of the affected flock in Sankt Pölten reported that a young pigeon strayed into his flock on 20 September 2003 and died on 27 September.

B. Mode of spread: under investigation.

Control measures:

- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: 60-day ban on the flock, cleaning and disinfection in accordance with BGBl II No. 1995/466⁽²⁾.

- Outbreak of Waidhofen: ban, killing and destruction of the flock, cleaning and disinfection in accordance with BGBl II No. 1995/466.

(1) Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit

(2) BGBl.: Bundesgesetzblatt für die Republik Österreich