LA JUNTA, Colo. — A highly lethal virus that spreads easily in some birds is causing a significant die-off of an invasive dove species in the lower Arkansas River valley near La Junta and Rocky Ford, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said Monday.
Pigeon Paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) was first detected in Colorado in 2014 when it caused a die-off of Eurasian collared doves, according to Bill Vorgin, CPW’s southeast region public information officer. The species is not native to Colorado.
State wildlife officials said they became aware of this most recent outbreak after receiving “a high volume of calls” regarding hundreds of deaths of the species near La Junta and Rocky Ford.
After responding to the calls, CPW sent two dead collared doves to the CPW wildlife health lab for testing and they came back positive for PPMV-1.
“This is something that primarily affects collared doves and pigeons,” according to CPW Wildlife Officer Jordon DePriest. “We want the public to know the reason for the die-off so they don’t have to worry about it.”
PPMV-1 is different from the influenza viruses that have circulated in wild birds in recent years, Vorgin said, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 – more commonly known as bird flu – which has infected more than 48 mammal species in 26 countries after jumping from wild birds since it was first detected in China in 1996.
Human infections from PPMV-1 are rare, with most people experiencing a mild case of conjunctivitis, or pink eye, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though there have been four recorded human deaths in people who were immunocompromised since the original strain of the virus, known as Avian Paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), was first detected in Australia in 1942.
The most recently recorded severe case of PPMV-1 infection in a human occurred in a 66-year-old Chinese man with Long COVID who developed pneumonia after becoming infected with the avian virus in early 2023. He was hospitalized and transferred to the ICU for 11 days but recovered 64 days later, according to a case study published by the National Institutes of Health.
“We believe this virus will be limited to Eurasian collared doves, for the most part, and will run its course in a few weeks,” DePriest said. “Of course, we don’t recommend people handle sick or dead birds and keep your children, pets and domestic birds away from them.”
Vorgin said it’s also a good idea to clean backyard birdfeeders weekly, in general, but people concerned about attracting sick, wild birds could also consider taking down their birdfeeders altogether.
Eurasian collared doves have large bodies with small heads, a dark bill and a long, square-tipped tail. Their upper bodies are sandy brown with a black crescent on the back of the neck, CPW officials said.
If you see a dead bird, do not touch it and instead call your local CPW office.
