Zombies are no longer an invention of popular movie culture, nor a fan conspiracy theory. By this time, they had become a horrific phenomenon, proliferating and uncontrolled, spreading through the wide streets of the UK.
The deadly zombie pandemic did not come as Swiss director Marc Forster portrayed it in ‘World War Z’, with people jumping, attacking and messing with each other in various eerie apocalyptic scenes; on the contrary, it came from the hands of small and seemingly harmless birds.
With a twisted neck, crooked wings, and movements that could only be described by experts as erratic, ‘zombie pigeons’ take over Jersey’s corners A British Crown dependency found in the English Channel – as they battle an infectious and deadly virus that threatens not only their survival but the rest of their species.
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They do not eat humans and are not governed by a cannibalistic instinct; But to the naked eye, they look and behave like fearsome and dangerous undead. It sounds like a Hollywood movie starring Will Smith or Brad Pitt, but sadly it isn’t: ‘zombie pigeons’ are more real than ever and live in front of hundreds of people across Europe.
The UK bird population is being hit by a silent, deadly and timeless virus named after itself: paramyxovirus, also known as PPMV or Newcastle diseasemainly exposes pigeons to neurological symptoms not specific to their species.
Violently twisted necks, trembling wings and heads, and green stools are just some of the alarming nervous signs that pigeons are infected by the disease.
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If these signs are added to walking in circles, lack of flight, and high reactivity to movement, the result is a pigeon with few birds and many zombies.
The UK public sector website warns that in some cases, birds may show other symptoms such as paralysis of the wings and legs, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and reluctance to move.
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According to a spokesperson for the Animal Shelter on the island of Jersey, quoted by the British newspaper ‘The Sun’: “The disease is highly contagious and is spread through faeces and other secretions. The virus can survive longer in the colder, rainy months, meaning clusters of cases are more common at this time of year.”
In particular, contact of pigeons through improperly disinfected bird carriers, potable water in rooftops, and infected pigeon breeders can be important risk factors when defining the fine line between life and death in such animals.
Cases of silent and deadly ‘zombie pigeons’ in Jersey are accumulating uncontrollably, slowly causing UK citizens and authorities to be alarmed.
According to the spokesperson mentioned above: “There has been an increase in the number of ground pigeons entering JSPCA Sanctuary in recent weeks, many of them showing neurological signs such as neck sprains, turning or inability to stand.
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Given that the situation had worsened rather than improved, British authorities were compelled to “humanely slaughter” any birds that had for one reason or another caught the deadly virus. Reason? Even if pigeons recover from the deadly disease, they can transmit the virus to other birds.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO for Spanish abbreviation), the virus is transmitted for a short time during the incubation period and during recovery. In the case of “birds of the pigeon family, they can transmit the disease intermittently for a year or more.”
In most countries, it is not uncommon for an emergency culling policy to be implemented that includes strict isolation or quarantine of outbreaks if the disease occurs in a previously exempted area; extermination of all infected and exposed birds under appropriate conditions; proper disposal of carcasses -according to the OMSA Terrestrial Animal Health Code-; pest control in herds; and avoiding contact with birds of unknown health.
Unlike the movie ‘I Am Legend’, where the hero finds a miraculous cure to stop the zombie apocalypse and ensure his survival. There is no cure for paramyxovirus that brings death to the fore..
While there isn’t much that can be done once your pigeon is infected, a veterinarian’s attention can significantly increase its chances of fighting the virus and surviving the situation.
Although sometimes the panorama is a bit gloomy, all is not lost. You can always get vaccinated so the birds can simply prevent the disease rather than fight it.
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“You can vaccinate your pigeons to prevent disease and make sure you follow strict biosafety protocols in your enclosure,” warns The Sun, adding that reporting of the virus in captive birds is mandatory – meaning suspected cases should be mandatory. reporting to the authorities; not so when it comes to wild birds.
The WHOA gives a piece of calm, noting that while Newcastle disease can be fatal to birds, it does not pose a major risk to public health: it can only cause conjunctivitis in humans, but is usually very mild. . and limited.
Although unusual, everything points to the fact that the dreaded avian virus is not limited to the UK. Almost ten years ago, in 2013, Moscow has announced a “pigeon apocalypse”, requiring the environmental protection department and other municipal agencies to launch a tough investigation. It’s about the mass death of pigeons and other birds in the capital of the world’s greatest nation.
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According to Russia’s Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service, the birds’ abnormal behavior was caused by Newcastle disease, a highly contagious infection that affects birds, including domestic poultry. It is also caused by a virus from the paramyxovirus family.
“Before they die, they begin to look like zombies: they lose their orientation and fly aimlessly, then fall, no longer strong enough to take off.“, at that time, the scientific columnist of the website ‘Slon.ru’, Konstantin Ranks, wrote about the deadly virus that is slowly ending the lives of hundreds of pigeons.
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Source: Exame
