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Acute pancreatitis in parrots.

Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in three parrots. Antemortem diagnosis of pancreatitis in the avian patient is rarely documented, and should be suspected in birds showing clinical signs attributable to abdominal pain or gastro-intestinal dysfunction. However, not all birds with confirmed pancreatitis display these signs. A serum amylase level greater than 1,500 U/L is suggestive of pancreatitis and pancreatic biopsy can be used to confirm a diagnosis. The aetiology of acute pancreatitis in parrots is discussed and a suggested treatment protocol is described.

Acute Disease↗

Acoustic and articulatory correlates of stop consonants in a parrot and a human subject.

General acoustic patterns in productions of American English stops /p,b,t,d,k,g/ by a Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and his primary human trainer are identified. Comparisons demonstrated both differences (coherence of voicing [/p,t,k/ and /b,d,g/] and place [/p,b/, /t,d/, and /k,g/] subsets, predictive power of measures related to F1 and F3) and similarities (categorical distinctions among stop consonants) in acoustic properties of psittacine and human speech. The authors suggest how acoustic data might be correlated with articulatory events in the parrot. Our data are also compared with speech from a mynah (Gracula religiosa). Because humans perceive and correctly label psittacine stop consonants despite differences in avian and human articulatory and acoustic parameters, our findings (a) further expand our initial work with vowels [Patterson and Pepperberg, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 634-648 (1994)], (b) corroborate findings suggesting that the perceptual discontinuities exploited by speech may be accessible to various sensory systems, and (c) challenge the notion that human speech production is a unique process.

Animals↗

Detection and heterogeneity of herpesviruses causing Pacheco's disease in parrots.

Pacheco's disease (PD) is a common, often fatal, disease of parrots. We cloned a virus isolate from a parrot that had characteristic lesions of PD. Three viral clones were partially sequenced, demonstrating that this virus was an alphaherpesvirus most closely related to the gallid herpesvirus 1. Five primer sets were developed from these sequences. The primer sets were used with PCR to screen tissues or tissue culture media suspected to contain viruses from 54 outbreaks of PD. The primer sets amplified DNA from all but one sample. Ten amplification patterns were detected, indicating that PD is caused by a genetically heterogeneous population of viruses. A single genetic variant (psittacid herpesvirus variant 1) amplified with all primer sets and was the most common virus variant (62.7%). A single primer set (23F) amplified DNA from all of the positive samples, suggesting that PCR could be used as a rapid postmortem assay for these viruses. PCR was found to be significantly more sensitive than tissue culture for the detection of psittacid herpesviruses.

Animals↗

Intestinal and blood parasites in Amazon parrots destined for relocation in Guatemala.

Approximately 350 Amazon parrots were destined for relocation in Peten province, northeastern Guatemala. In random sampling of the parrots, 95 blood and 75 fecal samples were examined individually for parasites. Coccidia were present in 6.0% (3/50) of Amazona autumnalis autumnalis, and they were the only parasites detected. There were no blood parasites observed in 64 A. a. autumnalis, four Amazona pionus senilis, 16 Amazona ferinosa guatemala, 10 Amazona albifronsus albifronsus, and one Amazona xantholora. No fecal parasites were observed in four A. p. senilis, 12 A. f. guatemala, eight A. a. albifronsus, and one A. xantholora.

Animals↗

Evidence of Chlamydophila psittaci infection in captive Amazon parrots in Brazil.

The prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci) infection was assessed in 95 apparently healthy, captive Amazon parrots from three breeder collections in southeastern and west-central Brazil. Cloacal swabs from 95 birds were tested for chlamydial antigen, which was detected by direct immunofluorescence (DIF), and serum samples from 44 of these birds were tested for antibodies to C. psittaci using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalences of active infection as detected by DIF were 16.7%, 22.2%, and 56.1%, and seroprevalences were 100%, 87.5%, and 60% in flocks A, B, and C, respectively. We can therefore infer that C. psittaci may be widespread in captive parrot populations in Brazil.

Animals↗

Phylogenetic relationships within parrots (Psittacidae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene sequences.

Blood and tissue samples of 40 individuals including 27 parrot species (15 genera; 3 subfamilies) were collected in Indonesia. Their phylogenetic relationships were inferred from 907 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene, using the maximum-parsimony method, the maximum-likelihood method and the neighbor-joining method with Kimura two-parameter distance. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that (1) cockatoos (subfamily Cacatuinae) form a monophyletic sister group to other parrot groups; (2) within the genus Cacatua, C. goffini and C. sanguinea form a sister group to a clade containing other congeners; (3) subfamily Psittacinae emerged as paraphyletic, consisting of three clades, with a clade of Psittaculirostris grouping with subfamily Loriinae rather than with other Psittacinae; (4) lories and lorikeets (subfamily Loriinae) emerged as monophyletic, with Charmosyna placentis a basal sister group to other Loriinae, which comprised the subclades Lorius; Trichoglossus+Eos; and Chalcopsitta+ Pseudeos.

Animals↗

Dispharynxiasis in a captive princess parrot.

The acuariid nematode Dispharynx nasuta was found in a princess parrot, Polytelis alexandrae, at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA). This is the first report of D. nasuta from the host order Psittaciformes, and was the presumed cause of death in this parrot.

Animals↗

Simultaneous development of vocal and physical object combinations by a Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus): bottle caps, lids, and labels.

On the basis of primarily behavioral data, researchers (e.g., P. M. Greenfield, 1991) have argued (a) that parallel development of communicative and physical object (manual) combinatorial abilities exists in young children; (b) that these abilities initially have a common neural substrate; (c) that a homologous substrate in great apes allows for similar, if limited, parallel development of these 2 abilities; and (d) that such abilities thus may indicate a shared evolutionary history for both communicative and physical behavior (J. Johnson-Pynn, D. M. Fragaszy, E. M. Hirsh, K. E. Brakke, & P. M. Greenfield, 1999). The authors of the present study found a comparable, if limited, parallel combinatorial development in a Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus). Given the evolutionary distance between parrots and primates, the authors suggest that the search for and arguments concerning responsible substrates and common behavior should be approached with care and should not be restricted to the primate line.

Age Factors↗

Management of an ingested lead foreign body in an Amazon parrot.

An adult male, double-yellow-head Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala oratrix) was presented with a 36-h history of seizure episodes. On presentation, the bird was slightly obtunded, seizured once for approximately 20 sec and the seizure was controlled with midazolam. Whole body radiographs revealed a 2-mm diameter, circular, dense object in the ventriculus. A presumptive diagnosis was made of lead toxicosis, and supportive care of sc fluids and gavage feedings. Calcium disodium EDTA and chelation therapy was initiated immediately. Blood analysis revealed 1.2 ppm lead wet weight. Bulk diet therapy with freQuent high fiber gavage feedings was unsuccessful at removing the foreign body and the lead object was ultimately retrieved from theventriculus using endoscopy. Sources of lead available to the pet birds include lead weights, solder, stained glass molding, jewelry and bird toys. However, this Amazon parrot was fed portions of game birds that contained lead shots within their muscles, which is a common source of secondary lead poisoning in raptors.

Animals↗

Plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin in African grey parrots treated with medicated water.

Plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin were measured four times during a 7-day treatment period in African grey parrots that were fed with enrofloxacin-medicated drinking water. Water medicated at doubling doses of 0.09, 0.19, 0.38, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mg/ml achieved mean concentrations (+/- SEM) of 0.10 (+/- 0.05), 0.12 (+/- 0.05), 0.12 (+/- 0.03), 0.15 (+/- 0.05), 0.30 (+/- 0.11), and 0.20 (+/- 0.06) micrograms/ml, respectively. A portion of the administered enrofloxacin was metabolized to an equipotent metabolite, ciprofloxacin. Mean ciprofloxacin concentrations paralleled enrofloxacin concentrations but were lower, ranging from 0.04 to 0.27 micrograms/ml. Acceptance of medicated water was adequate at lower doses; however, at doses of 1.5 and 3.0 mg/ml, acceptance was unsatisfactory, and mean weight loss in these groups was significantly higher than the control group. Based on the concentrations achieved in these preliminary trials and the susceptibility patterns of gram-negative bacteria isolated from psittacine birds, drinking water medicated with enrofloxacin at 0.19-0.75 mg/ml might be effective for treating highly susceptible gram-negative bacterial infections in African grey parrots.

Administration, Oral↗

[Sublingual salivary gland granuloma as a husbandry-induced disease in a Timor gray parrot].

Psittacines kept as pets show a predisposition to vitamin A deficiency conditions. The lack of a varied diet, over-long storage times for seed and no knowledge regarding species specific feeding behaviour all lead to squamous cell epithelium metaplasia in the region of beak, oesophagus and trachea. The submandibular tumour of the sublingual salivary glands in parrots also belongs to this group of deficiency conditions. A granuloma of the right sublingual salivary gland in a Timor African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erythacus timneh) is described. It was classed as husbandry-dependent on the basis of an appropriate case history and a thorough assessment of the environment. The clinical appearance, the surgical procedure, follow-up treatment and the occurrence of this tumour are related with the use of illustrations.

Animal Husbandry↗

Parrot breeder's lung: first case report in China.

The authors report the first case of parrot breeder's lung in China and the study of its immunology, respiratory physiology, as well as pathology. The main characteristics of this disease are progressive dyspnea after contacting parrots, patchy or reticular shadows in the lower lung fields on chest X-ray, the presence of alveolitis, accompanied by pulmonary interstitial fibrosis as demonstrated in lung biopsy, restrictive or mixed ventilation disorders with reduction of diffusing capacity and lung compliance. The results of specific ring precipitation test and counter immunoelectrophoresis were helpful in diagnosis. The importance of early diagnosis and treatment is also discussed.

Adult↗

Cholangiocarcinoma in a 4-month-old double yellow-cheeked Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis).

A cholangiocarcinoma was diagnosed in a 4-month-old double yellow-cheeked Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis). Histologically, neoplastic cells effaced hepatocellular architecture. Ultrastructurally, variably dilated bile ductules were lined by simple cuboidal to low columnar ciliated epithelial cells with sparse cellular organelles and prominent junctional complexes. Elongated single cilia arising from basal bodies in the apical cytoplasm were occasionally evident. The presence of such a neoplasm in a 4-month-old parrot is extremely unusual.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗

Cholangiocarcinoma in a blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona estiva).

A case of cholangiocarcinoma in a 3-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona estiva) is reported. Neoplastic tissue was limited to the liver, where it infiltrated and replaced much of the hepatic parenchyma. The only other reported cases of cholangiocarcinoma in an Amazon parrot (Amazona xanthops) also occurred in a bird in its fourth year of age.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗

[The incidence of herpesvirus hepatitis in parrots--Pacheco's disease--in Czechoslovakia].

A highly fatal disease of parrots kept in zoological garden is described; it manifests itself as abrupt mass death of the birds. Deposits of necrotic changes with the occurrence of intranuclear inclusions of the Cowdry A type were found in the liver of dead parrots. The virus was isolated on chick embryos and tissue cultures of chick embryo cells. The bioassay was performed on Psittacus undulatus. The occurrence of herpesvirus nucleocapsids and complete virions in the infected tissue cultures was detected by means of electron microscopy.

Animals↗

Characterization of a reo-like virus and its isolation from and pathogenicity for parrots.

Necropsy of an African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) revealed subcutaneous hemorrhages, multiple foci and microfoci of necrosis in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and intestinal lamina propria, mild air sacculitis, and epicarditis. A virus, isolated from the liver, was non-enveloped, was polyhedral with a diameter of 84.9 +/- 3.4 nm, possessed a double-stranded RNA genome, and was stable at pH 3.0 for 30 minutes and at 56 C for up to 120 minutes. The virus was propagated in cell culture, purified by limiting dilution, and inoculated into two African Grey parrots. The experimental infections were fatal on the 8th and 9th days postinoculation in the orally and intramuscularly inoculated birds, respectively, and produced hemorrhages and necrotic lesions that recapitulated those of the index case.

Animals↗

Diseases in parrots.

This article can be regarded as a primer to psittacine medicine. An introduction to pet psittacine species and Dutch legislation with regard to keeping parrots as pets, is followed by diagnostic techniques. Some emergency therapeutic measures are highlighted. A review is presented of some characteristic or important parrot diseases.

Animals↗

Pharmacokinetics of a long-acting oxytetracycline preparation in ring-necked pheasants, great horned owls, and Amazon parrots.

After a single IV or IM dose of a long-acting oxytetracycline (OTC) preparation, serum concentrations were determined at various times in the ring-necked pheasant, great horned owl, and Amazon parrot. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including serum half-life (t1/2) and apparent volume of distribution (Vd) were calculated from the OTC concentration-time curves for each species and route of administration. Significant differences (P less than 0.05) were found in the t1/2 and Vd parameters between species and routes of administration. Dosage regimens to maintain minimum OTC concentration of 5 micrograms/ml of serum were calculated from the t 1/2 and Vd values obtained, using steady-state pharmacokinetics. In the pheasant, the calculated mean IV dose was 23 mg/kg of body weight every 6 hours, whereas the mean IM dose was 43 mg/kg every 24 hours. The mean IM dose was 16 mg/kg every 24 hours for the owl and 58 mg/kg every 24 hours for the parrot. The small volumes required for treatment, the long-dosing interval obtainable, and the broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity of the long-acting OTC preparation studied offered major advantages over other antibiotics commonly used in treating avian species.

Animals↗