Molecular detection of Pigeon Adenovirus in feces of pigeons for the first time in Iran

The Pigeon Adenovirus is one of the pathogenic agents of pigeons that belong to the family Adenoviridae and Aviadenovirus genus. The virus causes two clinical illnesses called adenovirosis type I and II. Both types of disease have a great effect on the population of pigeons, resulting in losses and economic damages. In this study, which was performed for the first time in Iran and Khuzestan province, 120 fecal samples were collected from healthy and sick pigeons with clinical symptoms of lethargy, anorexia, weight loss with watery green and yellow diarrhea. The microtubes containing the feces were sent separately to the laboratory. DNA samples were extracted for the PCR test. A pair of primers was used to identify positive isolates of pigeon adenoviruses. After the PCR test, PiAdV-1 was detected in 5 samples of pigeon droppings (4.16%), which is the first molecular detection of PiAdV-1 in pigeon feces in Iran. Due to the pollution of the city of Ahvaz to PiAdV-1, this should be considered during the clinical examination of pigeons that have symptoms such as sudden death, vomiting, acute watery diarrhea, and weight loss to differentiate from the same diseases and to use fair supportive medicine and prevent no useful treatments.