Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Avian polyomavirus found in young Gouldian finch in New Zealand
By Alley, M R et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2013·Institute of Veterinary·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Avian polyomavirus identified in a nestling Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) in New Zealand.
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A group of young Gouldian finch nestlings in a commercial aviary suddenly died over two weeks, raising concerns among their caretakers. One of the deceased nestlings was examined and showed signs of severe liver damage and bleeding, which led to the discovery of avian polyomavirus as the cause of death. This virus can be particularly dangerous for young birds, causing sudden fatalities. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring for viral infections in vulnerable bird species, especially when sudden deaths occur.
People also search for: Gouldian finch sudden death · avian polyomavirus symptoms · bird liver disease treatment
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Abstract CASE HISTORY: Four 4-5-month-old nestlings and one adult in a commercial aviary of 53 Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) died over a 2-week period in July 2000. PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: One nestling was necropsied and showed bronze-tinged skeletal muscles, a swollen liver with haemorrhagic margins and numerous haemorrhages on serosal surfaces. The histological lesions included multifocal hepatic necrosis and haemorrhage associated with the presence of large clear or basophilic intranuclear inclusions in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells suggestive of avian polyomavirus infection. Similar inclusion bodies were present in splenic histiocytes. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY: DNA was subsequently extracted from archived portions of liver, spleen, gizzard, heart, lung and kidney. A broad spectrum nested PCR was used to detect polyomavirus which sequence analysis confirmed as finch polyomavirus. DIAGNOSIS: Avian polyomavirus. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Avian virus infections such as polyomavirus should be suspected in cases of sudden death in nestlings, particularly in susceptible species such as psittacine and passerine birds. The archiving of tissues from unconfirmed disease outbreaks provides a valuable resource for retrospective investigations.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23445119/