The first confirmed cases of pigeon rotavirus A (RVA) infection in domestic pigeons

Although the presence of rotaviruses in pigeon samples has been reported since the 1980s, its importance as an aetiological agent of the "classical" young pigeon disease (YPD) was not proven until 2020, when the Henle-Koch postulates were confirmed for pigeon-type rotavirus A (RVA) genotype G18P(17). From 2011 to 2020, archived liver samples from 117 pigeons submitted by 74 individual lofts were tested for the presence of pigeon-type RVA using a VP6-specific RT-qPCR test. For four positive racing pigeons, a more detailed necropsy and histopathological analysis was performed. Indicators of an acute RVA infection were found in 24 out of 117 (20.5%) samples tested, the earliest in 2014. Necropsies of the four selected RVA-positive pigeons showed changes mainly in the liver, spleen and kidneys similar to those described by other researchers. The histopathological examination revealed mainly hyperaemia and necrosis in the liver, as well as mononuclear cell infiltrates in these organs. Pigeon-type RVA is also a cause of YPD in Poland and is a serious challenge for racing pigeon breeders and veterinarians, especially during the training and flights of young pigeons.

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© 2024 Krzysztof Adamczyk et al., published by Sciendo.

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Conflict of Interests Statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article.