Journal Article

Fatal Human Neurologic Infection Caused by Pigeon Avian Paramyxovirus-1, Australia

Kim, Ki Wook, McMullan, Brendan, Bingham, John, Kok, Jen, Williams, David T., Johnson, Alexandra, Howard-Jones, Annaleise R., Hurley, Siobhan, Anazodo, Antoinette, Neave, Matthew J., Eden, John Sebastian, Rodriguez, Michael, Watson, James, Rawlinson, William, Solinas, Annalisa

2023

Overview

Avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) is a virus of birds that results in a range of outcomes, from asymptomatic infections to outbreaks of systemic respiratory and neurologic disease, depending on the virus strain and the avian species affected. Humans are rarely affected; those who are predominantly experience mild conjunctivitis. We report a fatal case of neurologic disease in a 2-year-old immunocompromised child in Australia. Metagenomic sequencing and histopathology identified the causative agent as the pigeon variant of APMV-1. This diagnosis should be considered in neurologic conditions of undefined etiologies. Agnostic metagenomic sequencing methods are useful in such settings to direct diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.

• Publisher: U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subject: Acute lymphocytic leukemia / Animals / Australia - epidemiology / avian paramyxovirus-1 / B cells / Birds / brain / Care and treatment / Child, Preschool / Columbidae / Communicable Diseases / Conjunctivitis / Control / Convulsions & seizures / Diagnosis / Disease / Encephalitis / Fatal Human Neurologic Infection Caused by Pigeon Avian Paramyxovirus-1, Australia / Genomes / Histopathology / Humans / Identification and classification / Infections / Leukemia / Magnetic resonance imaging / metagenomics / Nervous system diseases / Newcastle disease / Newcastle Disease - epidemiology / Newcastle Disease - pathology / Newcastle disease virus / Paramyxoviruses / Pathogens / Patients / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Proteins / Risk factors / Serology / Virulence / Viruses / zoonoses