Serving the Hobby...
Since 1998!
Adeno Virus
Cause and Symptoms — Only birds whose immune systems are
suppressed are vulnerable to this disease. There are two
types of Adeno Virus that infect pigeons. Type 1 affects
young pigeons primarily and causes vomiting and diarrhea,
from which many birds recover, Type 2 is contracted by older
pigeons and strikes the liver, with most affected birds
dying within 24 hours. Some birds display a fluid yellow
diarrhea and vomiting before death. But the main sign is
sudden death, occurring within 24 hours of the onset. None
of the affected birds live longer than 48 hours. E. coli
often accompanies Type 1 (which is associated with young
pigeons) and complicates the infection, making the diarrhea
and vomiting more severe and adding respiratory symptoms.
This Type 1 Adeno Virus/E. coil combination is sometimes
successfully treated with antibiotics. Cases that are the
best managed are those in which the loft environment is good
and in which all secondary diseases like canker and
coccidiosis are treated so that birds are best able to fight
the virus.
Prevention — Adeno virus is always present in a young bird,
and it erupts when the immune system weakens or fails. It is
important to wait until the 12th week for any type of
vaccination. There is currently no vaccine that is proven to
be effective against Adeno Virus. It's also important to
keep stress in the loft at a minimum and to boost pigeons'
general health with vitamin supplements, etc.