On Tuesday, December 26, 1995 at 10:00:00 AM UTC+2, Erik Vloothuis wrote:
PBFD is a virus that should not be taken lightly, it is highly contagious
to parrot species especialy cockatoos. This virus is spread through
feather dust, droppings and blood. It has been known to SURVIVE up to
ten years outside of the host with the same devastating potency as
when it was created. Removal of the virus in cages and aviaries etc..
is extremely difficult as it needs a strong disenfectant to kill it, even then you still could have missed some infected feather dust, that has managed to get into small cracks in the framework etc..
The virus is originally from Native Sulfur Crested Cockatoos here in Australia, where it was spread through natural nesting hollows to other Sulfurs'. But because of forest clearing, other parrots have used these hollows for nesting purposes and contracted PBFD.
PBFD, Parrot Beak and Feather Disease is a horrible and debilitating
disease. It starts off by causing the bird to lose its feathers and
and replacement ones are malformed and very weak, eventually no more
feathers will grow. While this is happening the beak begins to soften and degenerate, the bird will not be able feed and die of starvation. If you though that wasn't enough already, 'Mother Nature' makes the virus
attack the bird's immune system. Very rarely does a bird live long enough
to see it's beak crumble away, by then it would have caught a host
of other infections and diseases.
Currently there is no cure although in Australia research is underway
trying to find a vaccine, so far there has been some sucess, but without funding nothing will show to fight the virus. Interestingly some
studies have revealed that native Cockatoos are building up a resistance
to the virus with around 20% of birds tested showing immunity to it.
Test breedings have shown that this immunity seems to be hereditery, fortunatly mother nature has recognised some of these bird's suffering.
I would just like to leave with one statement:
Avoid PBFD like the Plague!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--
Erik Vloothuis ___ |\
/ /__| \
Email : erik@ttq.DIALix.oz.au / \
Fax : +61-3-9800-4050 \ \
-|- \__/--\_*_/ MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
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"Aviation is a natural high" \/
I had a bird with PBFD stayed in a cage for less than an hour I used alcohol 70% boiled water on the cage
I read now that there is on disinfectant usable for this virus other than a brand named virkon s
which I have no access too .. do I still get rid of the cage
Hope you reply sorry for intruding
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