24 januari 2006: Brief aan EC-lid Marcos Kyprianou
Brussels, 24 January 2006
To : Mr Marcos Kyprianou,
Member of the European Commission,
Rue de la Loi 200,
B-1040 Brussels.
Copies to : Mr R Madelin - European Commission- Director General-DG Health and Consumer Protection,
Mr J Husu Kallio - European Commission-Deputy Director General-DG Health and Consumer Protection,
Mr B Van Goethem -European Commission-Director-DG Health and Consumer Protection-Directorate D,
Mr A Laddomada--European Commission-Deputy Head of Unit-DG Health and Consumer Protection-Directorate D.1,
Mr.Mr. W-A. Valder-European Commission-Legislative veterinary officer -DG Health and Consumer Protection-Directorate D.1
Subject: Risk assessment with regard to the transmission of avian influenza by racing pigeons
Dear Mr. Kyprianou,
On 20 December 2005 the EU Council adopted the revised Avian Influenza Directive which will repeal Council Directive 92/40/EEC on Community control measures for the control of AI.
The Community measures on avian influenza (AI) were updated with the objective to achieve better prevention and control of outbreaks and to reduce the health risks, the costs and losses and the negative impact to the whole of society due to this disease. In this updated Directive special attention is paid to racing pigeons. The amended Directive states that, based on a risk assessment, movements of racing pigeons into, from and within the protection and surveillance zones are allowed if specific measures are taken.
By this letter the Fédération Colombophile Internationale (FCI) aims to help the national authorities of EU Member States and the world with the risk assessment. The FCI is the international pigeon fanciers organisation, representing 623.300 members of 57 countries. The individual pigeon fanciers are represented in the FCI by their national organisations.
Risk of avian influenza transmission by racing pigeons
Historically, racing pigeons (Columba livia) have been considered resistant to avian influenza viruses and in experiments infections of pigeons have been difficult to establish. Up to 2004 there was no evidence that pigeons could be infected by H5 or H7 stains of avian influenza. Panigrahy et al., (1996) infected pigeons experimentally with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses of H5N2 subtype and HPAI H7N7 and LPAI H7N1, by oculonasal and intravenous routes and in contact with these infected birds. They failed to produce disease or seroconversion in any of the infected pigeons and only one tracheal swab, taken on day 3 from a LPAI H7-infected pigeon, yielded virus, which the authors considered to be residual inoculum. Similarly, Perkins and Swayne (2002) failed to show any virus excretion, disease, lesions or seroconversion in pigeons infected intranasally with HPAI H5N1 virus. In experiments performed by Shell (2004) aimed at assessing the ability of the HPAI H7N7 virus responsible for
the outbreaks in the Netherlands in 2003 to infect pigeons administration to individual pigeons intranasally failed to result in the excretions of virus, clinical or
histological signs or seroconversion.
Ellis et. al. (2004) isolated H5N1 from a dead pigeon found in the quarantine zone during the avian influenza outbreak in Hong Kong in 2002. However, there is no evidence that the pigeon died from avian influenza, only a cloacal swab was found positive (personal communication). A dead tree sparrow found on the same day was also tested positive for avian influenza, while all other birds sampled around the quarantine area, including 57 cloacal swabs from other pigeons, and 233 environmental samples were negative for influenza viruses. The test result should, therefore, be critically assessed.
Further, there seems to be some unpublished work of Swayne in which pigeons were infected with Asian H5N1 strains. Some of these pigeons would not have been fully resistant to the virus. However, these studies were performed under laboratory conditions in which the amount of virus used for infection is much higher as pigeons may ever come into contact with under practical conditions.
The conclusion from these data is that pigeons are very unlikely to become
infected with avian influenza viruses and therefore pose very little threat of introducing avian influenza viruses into an area. Pigeons will certainly not act as a reservoir for avian influenza viruses.
Housing of racing pigeons
Racing pigeons are housed in specially designed pigeon houses fully separated from poultry or other birds (the vast majority of the pigeon fanciers keeps only racing pigeons). Once or twice a day the pigeons are released for their daily training of about one hour. During this period the pigeon house is cleaned and the pigeons fly around the house. After the training(s) the birds are fed and locked in for the remaining of the day.
Transport of racing pigeons
Racing pigeons are transported in specially designed trailers which are only used for the transport of racing pigeons and not for any other birds. The pigeons receive water and food in the container.
The races
Pigeons race from distances over 50 km and more. During the racing season the pigeons are weekly or biweekly send to the liberation sites. The pigeons return homewards with a speed of, depended on the direction of the wind, 60 to 100 km/hour. Except for extreme long distance races the pigeons arrive home on the day of release. The pigeons do normally not stop on their way homewards. Only pigeons in good condition and good health are basketed. This is checked by the basketing officers of the local clubs.
Conclusion
Racing pigeons (Columba livia) do not act as reservoir for avian influenza and are very unlikely to become infected with avian influenza viruses. The chance that avian influenza is transmitted by pigeons that take part in racing is negligible. Therefore, the outcome of the risk assessment as indicated in the new EU Directive should be that pigeon races do not pose a threat with respect to the transmission of avian influenza and that the races may start in March 2006 as usual, independent whether there are any preventive measures for poultry into place. Please note that according to the Directive racing pigeons are not considered as poultry.
Although there is no risk for transmitting avian influenza by racing pigeons, the following additional safety measures are proposed:
• Until 1 June 2006 no pigeons are liberated for extreme long distance races.
• Only pigeons that are housed separated from other birds are allowed to take part in races.
• It will be forbidden to race pigeons which are housed in an open loft system (pigeons can fly free in and out the loft)
If you there are any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us on the following address:
Fédération Colombophile Internationale,
Rue de Livourne 39,
B-1050 Brussels.
Dr. J.M.A Tereso H. Menzel
President FCI President Veterinary Committee FCI
References
Panigrahy B, Senne DA, Pedersen JC, Shafer AL, Pearson JE. Susceptibility of pigeons to avian influenza. Avian Dis 1996 Jul-Sep;40(3):600-604.
Perkins LE, Swayne DE. Pathogenicity of a Hong Kong-origin H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus for emus, geese, ducks, and pigeons. Avian Dis 2002 Jan-Mar;46(1):53-63.
Shell W. Experimental infection of pigeons with HPAI H7N7 (The Netherlands 2003 virus). Proceedings of the joint tenth annual meetings of the national Newcastle disease and avian influenza laboratories of countries of the European Union. 30th September to 1st October 2004: 43-51.
Ellis TM, Bousfield RB, Bissett LA, Dyrting KC, Luk GSM, Tsim ST, Sturm-Ramirez K, Webster RG, Guan Y, Malik Peiris JS. Investigation of outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in waterfowl and wild birds in Hong Kong in late 2002.
Avian Pathol. 2004 Oct;33(5):492-505.
Copies will be provided upon request.
