Dove-killing virus surfaces across Wyoming

The original story by Nick Perkins for Oil City News.

A viral disease that primarily hits doves and pigeons — avian paramyxovirus — has turned up in multiple Wyoming communities, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Recent testing confirmed the virus in Eurasian collared-doves from Casper, Green River, Riverton and Rock Springs, and officials warn it can rip through flocks quickly wherever birds gather, sometimes causing large die-offs.

“We detect this virus from time to time around the state,” said Liz Wheeler, a wildlife disease biologist at the agency’s Wildlife Health Lab in Laramie.

Infected birds may show neurological problems like unsteady movement or head tilt, along with diarrhea, weakness or labored breathing, and some birds die suddenly with few obvious signs. The state emphasized that the Wyoming samples were negative for avian influenza and for Newcastle’s disease, a more virulent paramyxovirus strain.

Managers say the most effective way for the public to help is by keeping backyard feeding stations and waterers clean, especially if doves are frequent visitors. Regularly disinfecting equipment with a 10% bleach solution and allowing it to dry can cut down transmission. If you come across three or more dead birds in the same area, contact your local Game and Fish regional office so biologists can investigate. More details and guidance are available on the Wyoming Game and Fish website.