Do pigeons carry and spread avian influenza viruses in nature?
The H5N1 avian influenza virus was isolated from one dead pigeon in Hong Kong in 2001, while all other birds sampled around the quarantine area, including 57 other pigeons, tested negative for the virus. In 2002, comparative studies involving pigeons and other bird species determined that pigeons were resistant or minimally susceptible to infection with avian influenza viruses. In 2003, various avian influenza viruses were isolated from 0.5% of the pigeons sampled in south central China. In 2006, a total of six individual pigeons were found infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus in Romania, Turkey and the Ukraine. These findings suggest that pigeons have played a minimal role in the spread of the virus. However, the latest studies conducted with the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which emerged in Asia in 2004, demonstrated an increased susceptibility of pigeons to this virus compared to the 1997 Hong Kong virus. Thus, the general public should try to avoid unnecessary close contact with
