CASE REPORT Granuloma formation and suspected neuropathic pain in a domestic pigeon (Columba livia) secondary to an oil-based, inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine administered for protection against pigeon paramyxovirus-1 ML Cowan, a * DJ Monks a and SR Raidal b Case report A domestic pigeon developed a sterile granuloma following vaccination with an oil-adjuvant, inactivated La Sota strain of Newcastle disease. The aim of vaccination was to provide protection against pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1), a disease previously considered exotic to Australia. Granuloma formation is considered a rare complication of vaccination against PPMV-1 in pigeons. Clinical signs consistent with neuropathic pain became apparent during the extensive management of the granuloma, which included surgical removal of foreign material, control of the pain and inflammation and protection against antimicrobial contamination. Conclusion PPMV-1 is now considered endemic in Australia and protecting pigeons with vaccination is important. Until a product is registered for use, vaccination remains off-label and the risk of adverse reaction, including sterile granuloma, must be considered. Keywords granulomas; neuropathic pain; paramyxovirus; pigeons; vaccination Abbreviations ND, Newcastle disease; PPMV-1, pigeon paramyxovirus-1 Aust Vet J 2014;92:171–176 doi: 10.1111/avj.12173 W ithin the Paramyxovirus family is the genus Avulavirus, which contains 11 different avian paramyxovirus serotypes. 1 Serotype 1 includes the Newcastle disease (ND) and pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1). 2 Previously considered exotic to Australia, the introduction of PPMV-1 in 2011 resulted in high mortality rates within domestic pigeon flocks and has since been detected in wild Columbiformes. 3 Because of the rapid spread of PPMV-1 within the country and the severity of clinical disease, vaccination was proposed as a method of protection for Australian domestic pigeons. 4 Vaccination against PPMV-1 in Columbiformes has been standard practice in countries where this disease is endemic and a vaccine containing a La Sota strain that is registered for use in pigeons is available in Europe, North America and the UK. 5,6 This case report describes a sterile granuloma in a pigeon secondary to the use of an oil-based, inactivated La Sota strain of ND. There is little information regarding treatment of this complication in pigeons and to the authors’ knowledge, neuropathic pain has not been previously reported in a domestic pigeon. Case report An 8-year-old male fantail breed of domestic pigeon (Columba livia) was presented to Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service for lethargy, excessive urination and increased thirst of 3 days duration. The bird was housed indoors with a female domestic pigeon of the same age. They were fed mixed grain and a formulated pellet diet. An outdoor aviary also existed on the property and this included a pair of domestic pigeons (C. livia), four barbary doves (Streptopelia risoria) and seven Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). There was no direct contact between the indoor and outdoor birds. Seven weeks prior to presentation, all birds on the property had been vaccinated with 0.5 mL Newcastle Disease La Sota Strain Clone 30 (Nobilis Newcavac (Batch C430A03, Expiry 01-2014); Intervet Schering-Plough Animal Health, Bendigo East, VIC, Australia). The columbids had the vaccine administered subcutaneously in the right inguinal web whereas the quail received the dose intramuscularly. A booster vaccine was administered 4 weeks later. On both occasions, each bird received the vaccine with an individual syringe and 23G hypodermic needle.An 18G hypodermic needle was used to draw each dose into the individual syringes. The vial was kept refrigerated and, despite the manufacturer’s recommendations to dispose of opened vials after 3 days, was used for the booster vaccination. The vial was not used to vaccinate any other birds. At 3 weeks after completion of the vaccination course, the male pigeon was presented as dull and in lean body condition, weighing 350 g. The bird exhibited marked polyuria and polydipsia. A firm, multinodular, immobile mass was palpable in the right inguinal region. The overlying skin was adhered to the mass and a 2-cm diam- eter area on the ventral aspect was ulcerated (Figure 1). Crop wash, urinalysis and faecal examination were unremarkable. Haemato- logical and biochemical evaluations demonstrated a marked leucocytosis (138 × 10 9 /L, reference 13–23 × 10 9 /L), relative excess of heterophils (90%, reference 50–60%) and mild hyperproteinaemia (40 g/L, reference 21–33 g/L) consistent with a severe inflammatory response. The haematology was performed in-house and no absolute *Corresponding author. a Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service, Cnr Kessels Road and Springfield Street, Macgregor, Queensland 4109, Australia; melinda@bbevs.com.au b Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia AVIAN AVIAN © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association Australian Veterinary Journal Volume 92, No 5, May 2014 171