Psittacine beak and feather disease virus and avian polyomavirus detection rate in clinically healthy captive birds in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to document the detection rate of the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and avian polyomavirus (APV) across clinically healthy captive parrots in the Czech Republic. The presence of the BFDV and APV was tested using a nested polymerase chain rection (PCR) in 177 parrots originating from 34 facilities (breeding facilities, private owners). Positive BFDV results came from 38 parrots (21.5%) within 12 facilities (35.3%). Two parrots (1.1%) originating from two different facilities (5.9%) tested positive for APV. The results show a high detection rate of BFDV in the clinically healthy captive parrot populations in the Czech Republic. Preventive measures to stop the spread of this virus are, thus, essential.

Molecular characteristics of Budgerigar fledgling disease polyomavirus detected from parrots in South Korea

“…However, BFDV infection in adults is only associated with mild symptoms such as feather dystrophies (French molt) [ 9 13 ]. BFDV infection has been reported in several species of psittacine birds on almost every continent, including countries such as China [ 4 ], Japan [ 14 ], Taiwan [ 2 15 ], Turkey [ 16 ], Pakistan [ 17 ], Thailand [ 18 ], Australia [ 19 ], New Zealand [ 20 ], Egypt [ 21 ], Germany [ 22 ], Czech Republic [ 23 ], Italy [ 24 ], Poland [ 25 ], Chile [ 26 ], Costa Rica [ 27 ], and USA [ 28 ]. In Korea, the virus was first detected in an Alexandrine parakeet ( Psittacula eupatria ) in 2014 [ 29 ], and in an African gray parrot ( Psittacus erithacus ) that was co-infected with Psittacine beak and feather disease, as well as and Aspergillus fumigatus and BFDV in 2017 [ 30 ].…”