Prevalence of Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type 1 in Racing and Fancy Pigeon in Hyderabad District, Sindh, Pakistan

A variant of Newcastle Disease Virus known as Pigeon Paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1), poses significant health risks to pigeon populations. This study assessed PPMV-1 prevalence in racing and fancy pigeons across five talukas of Hyderabad District, Sindh, Pakistan, from October 2023 to September 2024. A total of 600 pigeons with clinical signs (e.g., torticollis, respiratory distress, greenish diarrhea) were sampled from 5,514 pigeons in twenty-nine lofts. Prevalence was determined using clinical observations and confirmed by Hemagglutination Assay (HA), with statistical differences analyzed via Chi-square tests. The overall clinical prevalence was 10.88% (600/5,514, 95% CI: 10.08–11.72%), with Hyderabad City showing the highest rate (13.15%, 95% CI: 11.05–15.55%) and Latifabad the lowest (9.43%, 95% CI: 7.94–11.16%), though differences were not significant (χ² = 6.22, DF = 4, P = 0.1833). Of clinically affected pigeons, 62.5% (375/600, 95% CI: 58.54–66.32%) were HA-positive, with racing pigeons exhibiting significantly higher prevalence (up to 76.7% in Latifabad city) than fancy pigeons (χ² = 91.24, DF = 9, P = 0.0001). Younger pigeons (3 months) showed peak prevalence (90.0% in racing pigeons, χ² = 45.67, DF = 9, P = 0.0001), while winter months (October–March) had higher rates (up to 73.8%) than summer (χ² = 78.45, DF = 7, P = 0.0001). These findings highlight the higher susceptibility of racing pigeons, young pigeons, and winter periods, underscoring the need for targeted vaccination and biosecurity measures to control PPMV-1 in Hyderabad’s pigeon populations.