ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe a syndrome of wasting, diarrhoea and mortality in Australian king parrots (Alisterus scapularis). DESIGN: Field observations and laboratory examinations. Procedure Pathological examinations were performed on 50 Australian king parrots with wasting and diarrhoea. Wet preparations of intestinal contents were examined by light microscopy. Tannins were extracted from acorns (Quercus sp) and tested for toxicity in mice. CLINICAL SIGNS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY: A syndrome of wasting, diarrhoea and mortality was observed in wild juvenile Australian king parrots in eastern Australia from 1984 to 2000. Sporadic cases and outbreaks of disease occurred from May to September in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Outbreaks in the Australian Capital Territory in 1990 and 1991 were associated with parrots congregating to feed on acorns. Most affected birds failed to respond to treatment with dimetridazole and died 1 to 14 days after hospitalisation. Selected cases recovered following treatment with metronidazole. PATHOLOGY: Affected birds were emaciated, with faecal matting of feathers around the cloaca and yellow-green fluid, foamy intestinal contents. Abundant motile Spironucleus trophozoites were observed in wet preparations of faeces of clinically affected birds and intestinal contents of birds examined within 1 h of death. Protozoa were detected histologically in crypts of Lieberkühn in the intestine in association with exudation of mucus (catarrhal enteritis) or lymphoplasmacytic enteritis. Toxicology Tannin extracts from acorns induced periacinar hepatic necrosis in mice. CONCLUSION: Wasting, diarrhoea and mortality in wild juvenile Australian king parrots were associated with Spironucleus-like protozoa in the intestine. Acorns were not considered to be the cause of the syndrome.
Subject(s)
Bird Diseases/epidemiology , Diplomonadida/isolation & purification , Disease Outbreaks/veterinary , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/veterinary , Parrots/parasitology , Animals , Bird Diseases/etiology , Bird Diseases/parasitology , Bird Diseases/pathology , Feces/parasitology , Female , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Male , New South Wales/epidemiology , Queensland/epidemiology , Victoria/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Twenty ostrich chicks that died at, or within, 1 week after hatching were examined from 7 farms with poor (43 to 75%) hatchability. All chicks had anasarca and 15 had mild, generalised, acute degenerative changes in the complexus and pelvic limb muscles. One had fibrinoid degeneration of arterioles. Biochemical examinations produced no evidence of deficiencies of selenium, vitamin A or vitamin E. The syndrome was related to high relative humidity during incubation. Malpositioning also was a cause of embryo mortality.