Pssitacine Beak and Feather Disease

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (or PBFD for short) is one of the nastiest, most aggressive diseases in aviculture today, making it important for parrot owners to understand.

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a viral disease which affects not only parrots, but other birds too. It can be seen in cockatoos, African grey parrots, Eclectus parrots, lorikeets, lovebirds, and parrot species of Asian, Australian and African origin. Generally, PBFD affects young birds, seldom seen in birds older than three years of age.

Symptom and Types

PBFD can be easily recognized by its primary symptoms in the infected birds. There will be general feather loss, which cannot be attributed to bird’s self plucking; other symptoms include:

· Sharp feathers

· Clubbed feathers

· Abnormally short feathers (pin feathers)

· Loss of pigment in coloured feathers

· Loss of powder down

· Bloody shafts in the feathers

As the infection progresses, the bird will become depressed for days, and will then die suddenly. 

Causes

Psittacine beak and feather disease is caused by the Circovirus. It is spread from infected birds to healthy birds by direct contact, usually from the dust of feathers, dander or feces; the disease is sometimes transmitted from contact with an infected nest box. Infected birds can also pass on the virus to their young.

· Since the virus can survive outside the bird’s body for years and cannot be killed by disinfectants, it can be spread easily and is difficult to control.

Treatment

Any bird infected with PBFD should be immediately quarantined. Euthanasia is recommended to prevent the spread and stop the bird’s suffering, as there is no effective treatment for this viral infection.

Prevention

To prevent PBFD, strict hygiene should be followed in bird colonies, especially controlling the dust. Also, regularly screen for PBFD. Consequently, if any bird is found infected, quarantine the bird and burn its nest box to prevent the disease from spreading.

How can I tell if my bird has PBFD?

The prime target for Psittacine Circovirus is a bird's immune system and other rapidly dividing cells. If you are experienced with PBFD you could almost diagnose the disease in certain species of parrot from the next room. Even after being fed, kept warm and all other needs being tended to, baby Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos and Galahs, for example, will continue to beg and whine for their parents (or their human counterpart). Sadly this behaviour is due to the bird being sick, knowing it is sick and seeking out as much help and comfort as possible – a healthy baby has no need to beg for anything else when it is well fed and warm!

Other tell-tale signs in Cockies are an overly black, glossy beak when compared to the normal dull powdery look. Dirty feathers in baby birds suffering from PBFD are also different to feathers in a healthy baby that are soiled by food. Both of these signs are caused by the Circovirus preventing the bird from producing normal feather down.

Abnormal feather growth and the loss of feathers in later stages of the disease are obviously easy to pick, but often feather loss is misinterpreted by the bird’s owner as self-plucking. A good indicator of a more serious problem is when single birds are not only missing tail and flight feathers, but also those from their head or crest – these feathers are quite a bit harder for a single bird pluck to pluck itself!

Feathers lost from birds with PBFD will also look different and can be inspected for abnormalities, a feather shaft end with a 'withered' look is generally a good indicator that the problem is in the growth of the feather, not in the feather being plucked or chewed. At later stages of the chronic form of the disease, the beak and claws are also affected, becoming brittle, overgrown and often with a necrotic or 'dead' under layer – these symptoms are quite painful for the bird.

Some tips for avoiding PBFD

· Always be careful when purchasing the common carriers of the disease, such as Cockatoos and Galahs. Know the breeder well and even request a PCR test for Circovirus before purchase.

· Never purchase second hand cages for your birds

· Avoid picking up and bringing home any wild Galahs, Cockatoos or any other parrot for that matter that may have 'fallen' from their nest. This is a classic way that the Circovirus is introduced to otherwise healthy breeding setups.

Be mindful of this disease when novice breeders ask for help with babies that are 'struggling'. Unfortunately helping out a friend with a baby they are having trouble with can often lead to you either handling an infected baby and bringing the virus home on your clothes and shoes, or having the baby brought into your home and physically spreading the disease through your aviaries..

Is there any treatment for PBFD?

There is no cure for PBFD. The best course of therapy for infected birds is usually euthanasia. This is both the most humane option and the safest way to prevent the spread of the disease to other birds.

Pet birds with PBFD can be kept for some time after the physical symptoms begin to show, however a good quality diet and excellent hygiene measures are a must. The attacks by the virus on the bird’s immune system leave it very vulnerable to infection and in need of as much help against further disease as possible.

Euthanasia for infected birds in breeding collections, however, is highly recommended as these birds act as carriers and shedders of the virus. Always keep a quality, safe, hospital grade disinfectant on hand such as Avicare or F10 for the disinfection of anything that has potentially come in contact with an infected bird. It is crucial that we remember how easily this particular virus spreads and what we need to do to control it. At the end of the day, prevention is the only real defence that a bird keeper has at his/her disposal