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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Experimental infection and transmission of Leishmania major by laboratory-reared Phlebotomus bergeroti parrot.

The ability of colony-reared Phlebotomus bergeroti Parrot to successfully acquire and transmit Leishmania major (strain IPAP/EG 89/SI-177) was demonstrated in the laboratory. Female P. bergeroti were fed naturally on infected mice and artificially on infected blood suspension using a chick-skin membrane apparatus. Groups of sand flies, either infected on mice or by membrane feeding, were dissected and examined using light microscopy at 2-6, 8, 10, and 11 days postfeeding. Heavy promastigote infection of the thoracic and abdominal midgut was observed in 10% (2 of 20) of the naturally infected flies. Promastigote maturation was observed in 87% (81 of 93) of the artificially infected sand flies, with promastigotes observed in the cibarium and mouthparts at five days postinfection, and infective metacyclic stage promastigotes observed at eight days postinfection. Ten days postinfection, 31% (10 of 32) of the remaining artificially infected sand flies refed on an uninfected BALB/c mouse. Twenty-eight days following exposure to the infective sand flies, leishmanial lesions were observed on the pads of the mouse's front feet. The development of lesions on mouse foot pads clearly suggests the potential of P. bergeroti to serve as a vector for L. major.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Sandfly (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) fauna of South-Western Pakistan. 1. Diagnostic morphology of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), Ph. bergeroti (Parrot) and Ph. salehi (Mesghali).

A survey was conducted to study the morphology of the sandfly fauna in South-Western Pakistan (Balochistan). During the revision of different genera of sandflies the specimens of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (N = 720), Ph. bergeroti Parrot (N = 30) and Ph. salehi Mesghali (N = 70) were encountered in various localities. These localities appear to be new records of the subgenus in the literature to date. Ph. bergeroti is reported for the first time from Pakistan and Ph. salehi from Balochistan as well. Characters of these three Pakistanese Phlebotomus are compared with the published data of these species from other countries. Keys for the identification of Pakistanese Phlebotomus are also constructed. Two female Ph. papatasi collected from indoors out of 132 female flies (1.5%) were found positive with flagellate infection in pharynx and midgut. The possible vectorial role of these flies is also discussed. Further surveys are necessary in parts of the country that have not been systematically surveyed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pacheco's parrot disease of psittacine birds.

Pacheco's parrot disease was identified as the cause of death of 3 psittacine birds at an aviary. Confirming a previous report, a herpesvirus was found to be the etiologic agent. The virus induced mortality in embryonated chicken eggs and budgerigars. The virus was characterized by electron microscopy, filtration experiments, and ether-sensitivity. Hepatic lesions in chick embryos and budgerigars were similar by light- and electron-microscope studies. Naked and enveloped nucleocapsids were seen in the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected hepatocytes, and naked virions were present in the sinusoids of the liver. Multinucleated cells in the liver contained virus in both intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions; the latter inclusions were both membrane-bound and not. Vaccination of budgerigars with a commercial lyophilized Marek's disease vaccine did not prevent infection with the Pacheco's disease herpesvirus.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[A herpesvirus-caused enzootic--Pacheco's parrot disease--in a psittacine collection].

After the official confirmation of psittacosis in a collection of psittacine birds a total of 40 of them died during treatment with tetracycline. 36 of them underwent post mortem examination. From 33 birds the causative herpesvirus of Pacheco's parrot disease (PPD) was isolated and/or a non-purulent hepatitis diagnosed, the latter a characteristic for PPD. The cause of the outbreak was assumed to be a latent herpesvirus infection of individual birds which was activated by various stress factors during the psittacosis treatment. The macroscopic and histologic lesions, the results of virological investigations and the in vitro effect of acyclovir on the multiplication of the isolated herpes virus are described.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Egg mass in an asynchronously hatching parrot: does variation offset constraints imposed by laying order?

Life history theory predicts phenotypic trade-offs between the number and quality of offspring produced. Intraspecific variation in egg mass is common in birds and increased egg size can have positive effects on offspring fitness. However, evidence of a trade-off with clutch size is limited. We analyzed variation in mass of 5,743 Green-rumped parrotlet (Forpus passerinus) eggs laid over 15 years to evaluate the potential for facultative adjustment of egg mass and factors governing variation. Heavier eggs had an increased probability of both hatching and fledging but egg mass did not affect postfledging recruitment. Offspring egg mass differed between populations and the potential for seasonal adjustment to egg mass may be related to environmental factors such as seed density. Egg mass was moderately heritable (h2 = 0.42) which accounts for some of the individual variation detected, and these results are likely attributable to strong maternal effects. We found an effect of female age on egg mass, but no effects of previous reproductive experience. Finally, egg mass was strongly governed by position within the laying sequence, independent of clutch size, and such adjustment may facilitate brood reduction under some conditions in this highly asynchronous species.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Limited spread of innovation in a wild parrot, the kea (Nestor notabilis).

In the local population of kea in Mount Cook Village, New Zealand, some keas open the lids of rubbish bins with their bill to obtain food scraps within. We investigated the extent to which this innovation has spread in the local population, and what factors limit the acquisition of bin opening. Only five males of 36 individually recognised birds were observed to have performed successful bin opening. With one exception there were always other keas present, watching successful bin opening. Seventeen additional individuals were seen to have benefitted from lid opening. Their foraging success was less than that of the bin openers. Social status of bin openers did not differ from scrounging males. Among the individuals that were regularly seen at the site of the bins but were not successful in bin opening, social status and the ratio of feeding directly from open bins correlated with the amount of opening attempts. We conclude that scrounging facilitated certain behavioural aspects of bin opening rather than inhibiting them. The fact that only 9% of opening attempts were successful, and the long period of time required to increase efficiency in lid opening shows that mainly individual experience, and to a lesser extent insight and social learning, play key roles in acquisition of the opening technique. The results indicate that the spread of innovative solutions of challenging mechanical problems in animals may be restricted to only a few individuals.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed1996

Immunocytochemical study of the pathogenesis of Pacheco's parrot disease in budgerigars.

Thirty-five budgerigars were infected with the Psittacid herpesvirus 1 (RSL-1 strain, ATCC) to study the pathogenesis of Pacheco's disease. Intramuscular (i.m.) and oral (p.o.) infection routes were used in 21 and 14 animals respectively. Animals were euthanized on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 post-inoculation (p.i.) and complete postmortem examinations and histological studies were performed. The presence of viral antigen in tissues was detected by immunohistochemical techniques using a rabbit polyclonal antibody. In the i.m.-infected birds, lesions were first detected on the third day p.i. and included necrotizing hepatitis and splenitis, both associated to the presence of viral antigen. Necrotic and inflammatory lesions as well as viral antigen were detected in many organs after the fourth day p.i. (oesophagus, crop, pancreas, kidney, adrenal gland, thyroid and parathyroid glands, thymus, ovary and feathers) proving generalization of the disease. Chronology of the infection was similar in the p.o.-infected birds. However, two main differences were observed between the groups: In the p.o. group, viral antigen was first detected in cloacal mucosa (3rd day p.i.), liver and spleen; and viral entry into target cells and dissemination to the rest of the tissues was slower in this group. In addition, detection of viral antigen in feather follicular epithelial cells and in granulosa cells of organ follicles are findings that could be of relevance to the transmission of the virus.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Giardia duodenalis trophozoites isolated from a parrot (Cacatua galerita) colonize the small intestinal tracts of domestic kittens and lambs.

This study examines the ability of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites, isolated from a wild bird, to colonize the intestinal tracts of companion animals (kittens) and domestic ruminants (lambs). Trophozoites colonized the intestinal tracts of intraduodenally inoculated animals as demonstrated by increasing parasite burdens within the duodenum and jejunum and by fecal passage of cysts within 4 days post-inoculation. The pathogenesis of the trophozoites was further investigated in kittens. In these animals, infection significantly reduced jejunal brush border microvillous length and density, which resulted in a loss of overall epithelial brush border surface area. This injury was associated with the production of diarrhea in four of five infected kittens. These findings indicate that some bird species may carry G. duodenalis that represent a possible health threat to companion animals and livestock. Our results describe the first successful colonization of avian-derived G. duodenalis trophozoites in the small intestines of domestic kittens and lambs.

Animals↗