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

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 29; no. 12; pp. 2482 - 2487
• Main Authors: Hurley, Siobhan, Eden, John Sebastian, Bingham, John, Rodriguez, Michael, Neave, Matthew J, Johnson, Alexandra, Howard-Jones, Annaleise R, Kok, Jen, Anazodo, Antoinette, McMullan, Brendan, Williams, David T, Watson, James, Solinas, Annalisa, Kim, Ki Wook, Rawlinson, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01-12-2023; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Acute lymphocytic leukemia; avian paramyxovirus-1; B cells; Birds; brain; Care and treatment; Conjunctivitis; Control; Convulsions & seizures; Diagnosis; Disease; Encephalitis; Fatal Human Neurologic Infection Caused by Pigeon Avian Paramyxovirus-1, Australia; Genomes; Histopathology; Identification and classification; Infections; Leukemia; Magnetic resonance imaging; metagenomics; Nervous system diseases; Newcastle disease; Newcastle disease virus; Paramyxoviruses; Pathogens; Patients; Phylogenetics; Proteins; Risk factors; Serology; Virulence; Viruses; zoonoses; Australia; Netherlands; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2912.230250

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.