The State Veterinary Institute of Norway recently isolated paramyxovirus-1 from dead pigeons.  This virus is responsible for Newcastle disease in domestic galliformes.  Veterinary authorities in various nations in Scandanavia have not promoted routine immunization of flocks against Newcastle disease.  Susceptibility in the event of introduction of infection onto farms will result in clinical outbreaks of Newcastle disease as has occurred in neighboring Sweden.

A variant of paramyxovirus-1 emerged among pigeons in the early 1980's and spread from Asia through Eastern Europe facilitated by pigeon racing. The disease impacted farming of squabs in Middle East and North African nations.  Pigeon paramyxovirus was responsible for outbreaks of a Newcastle-like syndrome among layers consuming contaminated mash feed in the U.K. in 1983 since commercial flocks were not vaccinated. 

The disease appeared among racing pigeons in the U.S. in 1985, but there were no reports of infection extending to commercial flocks of chickens.  It is presumed that infection may have occurred but routine effective vaccination against Newcastle disease prevented any clinical impact or recognition of the infection.  An inactivated vaccine was developed for pigeons that provided protected. Generally owners used combination of available Hitchner strain lentogenic live attenuated Newcastle vaccine as a primer followed by an inactivated oil-emulsion product as a booster.

Attempting to maintain productive chicken and turkey flocks without a solid vaccination program against Newcastle disease will inevitably result in infection. This recognizes the wide range of free-living birds including columbiformes that can serve as reservoirs and disseminators of the virus with or without clinical signs.