Psittacine Pox
Note that the views expressed by the authors in the articles below are
not necessarily the views of the owners or hosts of the Lorylink
INTRO: By Djh, a parrot breeder, Auckland, New Zealand.
Psittacine Pox is a virus infection of parrots. Just a few weeks ago (October
2002) a vet inspecting an avairy in South Auckland found the pox virus
infecting two Rosellas in a group that was due to be exported. This was
reported to MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) who moved to try and
trace the source of this infection.
The Rosellas had been trapped and were wild birds therefore the pox virus was
already in the wild population. Efforts by MAF to therefore 'contain' the virus
by confiscating (for probable destruction) birds from captive populations will
be meaningless.
A report from the New Zealand Herald (see below) is typical of the
mis-information presented to the public in that it makes the story more
sensational by emphasising smuggling as 'one' way the virus could have arrived
in New Zealand without mentioning other 'ways'. The spin to exaggerate the
smuggling aspect further declares that the bird smuggling industry is a major
one and lucrative. No proof of this is offered and MAF or other law agencies
in New Zealand have never identified a major (bird/avian/psittacine) smuggling industry.
The fact that the pox virus is already in the wild population of Rosellas
and could have been there for many years, even though just discovered
recently (by accident!), makes the smuggling theory almost incredible.
Who would find it lucrative to smuggle birds into New Zealand that were
already well established here and are not too difficult to trap?
The Herald article uses the pox virus report to point to the need for
funding of Auckland Zoo and the great work carried out there and expertise
in testing Avians. Sadly the 'smuggling' suggestions from
'wildlife disease expert Richard Jakob-Hoff' do little to add credibility
to the Zoo's ability to determine probable causes for such disease outbreaks.
Although Mr Jakob-Hoff qualifies his comments by stating that he is not
saying smuggling was the cause of this outbreak, he achieves the goal of
assisting the Herald to sensationalise this story by giving it a spin on
bird smuggling.
Perhaps experts should only comment on their fields of expertise.
---
Virus threatens native parrots
16 October 2002
From ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org, a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Source The New Zealand Herald [edited]
A lethal disease that threatens native parrots may have found its way to
New Zealand through bird smuggling. The disease, psittacine pox, was
discovered in an Auckland aviary among rosellas that were being
examined by a veterinarian.
Auckland Zoo wildlife disease expert Richard Jakob-Hoff said smuggling was
one way the virus could have got to New Zealand.
"We don't know how it got here and we're not saying the birds that
carried the disease were smuggled, but we know the bird smuggling industry is
a major one and lucrative." Mr Jakob-Hoff said.
He is investigating the possible transfer of psittacine pox to native
parrots such as kaka, kakariki, kea, and kakapo on behalf of
the Department of Conservation.
Most of those species are tucked away on predator-free islands; kaka on
Little Barrier Island, kakariki on Tiritiri Matangi Island and kakapo
on remote Codfish Island, off the southern end of the South Island.
But the virus could travel swiftly through a previously unexposed parrot
population. Kea could be at risk because they live in mainland alpine areas,
and some kaka are still found in the Waitakere Ranges near Auckland.
Mr Jakob-Hoff said psittacine pox was just one of the wildlife health
problems discovered over the past 2 years and the zoo was struggling under
the demand for its services.
"The demand for our veterinary services from DoC, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry and overseas just keeps on growing."
A major part of the zoo's work is running health checks on dozens of
kiwi chicks raised in captivity before they are released into the wild. That
work turned up a previously unknown blood parasite that could have a
big effect on the health of kiwi chicks 18 months ago.
"That one came as a bit of a surprise," said Mr Jakob-Hoff. "Just by
looking we have found quite a lot of things that were previously unknown in
wildlife."
Complete article from New Zealand Herald
From ProMED-mail
Pox is a disease caused by poxviruses. There are many strains of
poxviruses that affect birds (avian poxviruses), and probably all birds
are susceptible to pox. Strains of poxviruses cause disease in specific
types of birds, for instance fowl pox in poultry and psittacine pox in
parrots, budgies, and other psittacines.
Specific strains of psittacine poxvirus will affect different species of
psittacines in different ways. Strain characteristics are determined either
naturally or experimentally on the basis of the effects in different species
or families of birds.
Psittacine poxvirus does not infect humans.
There is a risk the virus will become established in the country as a
result of contact between infected captive birds and wild birds via biting
insects, or direct contact within the introduced wild parrot population.
The potential consequences for indigenous psittacines is of great concern;
their susceptibility to the strain that infected the rosellas is not known.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
says the disease could have severe adverse consequences on the critically
endangered kakapo, as well as affecting populations of indigenous parrots
such as the kaka, kea, and kakariki. The most likely scenario is a high
mortality rate when psittacine poxvirus is introduced into a susceptible
population that has not previously been exposed.
MAF Biosecurity Information Sheet: Psittacine Pox
Also extracted in part from the
International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) magazine
Last Updated: 30 October 2002