Girl, 2, dies after catching rare virus from a pigeon leaving medics baffled

07 December 2023 , 15:12

755     0

Medics believe the girl may have caught the disease from touching pigeon faeces (Image: Getty Images)

A toddler in Australia has died after contracting a rare virus from a pigeon in a case that has left medics baffled.

The two-year-old, who was battling leukaemia at the time and had recently undergone a second round of chemotherapy, died after catching the infection. Doctors have drawn a blank on how she caught Newcastle disease, a highly rare in humans virus usually only contracted through poultry, but have theorised that she contracted it by touching pigeon poo or other fluids coming from the birds.

The youngster, who has not been identified, will be only the fifth human victim of the virus in a century since the disease's discovery in the Australian city of the same name. She was taken to hospital in Randwick, New South Wales, after her family reported she was suffering from cold symptoms as well as nausea and vomiting over a three-week period.

But the girl's condition deteriorated rapidly and she began to suffer from epileptic seizures. MRI scans were coming out clear and tests for the virus were also returning negative, the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal reports. Despite doctors giving the youngster antiviral drugs, antibiotics and anti-seizure medication to treat her brain swelling and pain, her condition didn't improve. Tragically, she died a month after being admitted.

Newcastle disease is caused by avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), and can result in twisted necks trembling wings in birds. Despite being extremely rare in humans, it typically only leads to eye infections.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Writing in the journal, medics claimed her death was "most likely" a result of encephalitis - or swelling of the brain - after contracting the APMV-1 infection. Samples taken were similar to ones previously taken from pigeons. Medics added: "Although no exposure was identified, it is likely the virus was transmitted inadvertently via direct contact with pigeon faeces or infected fluids."

The first case of Newcastle disease reported in Australia was in 1942 and since then, only 485 human cases have been reported globally, with more than half logged in the UK. There have also only been four recorded human deaths, all caused by the APMV-1 strain, in the Netherlands, United States, China, and France.

Susie Beever