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Studies on currently circulating paramyxoviruses in pigeons
Abstract
Twenty two pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV) isolates were recovered from 50 tested diseased pigeons. Tested pigeons suffered from nervous manifestation, listlessness, inappetance, inability to fly and greenish diarrhea. Diseased pigeons were collected from Dakahlia governorate during 2014 and 2015. Virus isolation was done in embryonated chicken eggs via allantoic sac inoculation. Isolates were identified as PMV by HA and RT-PCR tests. Pathogenicity for five isolates was done via intracerebral inoculation of one day old 10 SPF-chicks for each isolate. Intracerebral pathogenicity index varied from 0.0 to 1.44. Although RT-PCR testing of liver, spleen, lung and brain collected from culled chicks on day 8 post inoculation for group with 0.0 pathogenicity index and negative control group were negative, yet testing of the same organs from dead birds of other challanged groups were positive for PMV.