PIGEON POX
(An article written by Dr Baltus Erasmus for MEDPET)
Pigeon pox is caused by a virus belonging to the poxvirus group, a group of viruses that cause disease in many species. The avipoxvirus subgroup includes a number of closely related viruses such as fowl pox, pigeon pox and canary pox.
There are two clinical forms of pigeon pox, probably associated with different sources of infection. The most common method of transmission results from mosquito bites. Obviously, the resultant lesions will appear on featherless areas of the body, e.g. on the eyelids, around the beak and occasionally elsewhere on the body. The lesions start as small papules and gradually progress to a wart-like thick dark scab. Eventually the scabs will fall off and complete healing generally takes place within four weeks of infection. This form of the disease is seldom life-threatening and is often more of a nuisance in racing pigeons as it results in a break in the training program.