Mysterious Highly Infectious Disease Turns British Birds Into Zombies With Twisted Necks

Last month, zombie deer suffering from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) started to show up across Ohio amid the deer season. Now, a mysterious infectious disease is spreading among birds in the United Kingdom (UK) that are turning them into zombies with twisted necks.

The New York Post reports that the Jersey Society for Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals (JSPCA) shared an alert with startling photos of pigeons with twisted necks. They noted that there has been an increase in the number of grounded pigeons coming into the JSPCA Animals' Shelter in the past few weeks with birds that show neurological symptoms caused by a paramyxovirus.

(Photo : JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)
A duck twists its neck as it cleans itself in the sun in a pond in Berlin on June 14, 2021.

Horrific Symptoms of the Infection

Pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV) can include horrific symptoms, such as deformed necks, and extremely thin bodies that take away the ability of birds to fly and walk in straight lines or move quickly.

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The Sun also reports that it can turn the bird's feces green and put them at high risk of dying a few days after getting infected. Some birds may also display trembling or paralysis of the wings and legs, with reluctance to move and eat.

A spokesperson for JSPCA Animal's Shelter said that these are all symptoms of the PPMV, which is a viral disease that can affect poultry, and the group of birds known as Columbidae, which consists of pigeons and doves. It is considered a Notifiable Disease in which suspected cases among captive birds should be reported, but not wild birds.

Infected birds sometimes injure themselves as a result of their inability to balance themselves or fly well. The disease is highly infectious and could spread via feces and other secretions.

Birds that survive the viral disease are "humanely euthanized" to prevent them from infecting others. The PPMV could survive longer in wetter, colder months, which means cases of the disease are most common during the winter months.

Pigeon Paramyxovirus (PPMV) Prevention

Bird keepers are advised to keep an eye on the symptoms of the viral disease. According to the Gov.uk, they should make sure to vaccinate pigeons and practice strict biosecurity in their enclosures to prevent the virus from spreading and causing a disease outbreak.

Bird Exotics Veterinary said that it is crucial to try and prevent the viral infection once it has incubated. They noted that the virus does not respond to treatment, although veterinary care could reduce the severity of the disease and increase the bird's survival. Humans cannot catch the disease, but handlers of infected birds could catch conjunctivitis or red eye.

The report of birds in the UK catching the viral disease comes a month after 155 sites across the country reported a bird flu outbreak that end up in three million birds being culled.

The country has already put in place some Avian Influenza Prevention Zones in affected areas, such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and some parts of Essex. and the whole South West of England. There are now concerns among poultry farmers that their livestock and Christmas turkey supplies might be affected.