Detection of velogenic avian paramyxoviruses in rock doves in New York City, New York

Avian paramyxovirus 1 (APMV-1), also known as Newcastle disease virus (NDV), causes severe and economically important disease in poultry around the globe. Although a limited amount of APMV-1 strains in urban areas have been characterized, the role of the urban wild bird population as an APMV-1 reservoir is unclear. Since urban birds may have an important role for long-term circulation of the virus, fecal and swab samples were collected by community scientists from wild birds in New York City (NYC), New York, United States. These samples were screened for APMV-1 and genotypically characterized by sequencing of the complete genome. A total of 885 samples were collected from NYC parks and from a local wildlife rehabilitation clinic from October 2020 through June 2021. Eight birds (1.1 %) screened positive for the APMV-1 nucleoprotein gene by conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and two live viruses were isolated via egg culture. The F protein cleavage site, an indicator of pathogenicity, was present in the two samples fully sequenced by next generation sequencing, and positioned 112R R K K R F117. Phylogenetic analysis of the F gene coding sequence classified both isolates into genotype VI, a diverse and predominant genotype responsible for NDV outbreaks in pigeon and dove species worldwide.