Molecular Detection of Circoviruses in Cockatiels Suspected of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) in Khuzestan Province

Abstract

Introduction: Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) occurs in a wide range of wild and caged parrots. PBFD virus is one of several avian circoviruses. PBFD has been reported in parrot chicks with an acute onset, such that highly affected birds may die within days of disease onset without showing dystrophic plumage.
Materials & Methods: In this study, which was conducted for the first time in Khuzestan province, feces and feather samples were collected from 34 suspected cockatiels referred to a veterinary hospital from Khuzestan province. The clinical symptoms of suspicious birds include lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, dystrophic feathers, which include changes in the shape of feathers, loss of feathers and skin lesions, necrosis and annular contraction at the base of the feather stem, and bleeding in the feather pulp, severe shedding of some. There were damaged feathers, hyperkeratosis, ring contractions of the calamus and stress lines on the feathers. Microtubes containing stool samples were sent to the laboratory separately. The DNA of the samples was extracted for PCR testing. PCR test was used to identify the circovirus that causes BPFD.
Results: The results of this research showed that out of samples obtained from 34 pieces of suspected cockatiel, 19 samples (55.88%) were positive.
Conclusion: Due to the infection of cockatiels in Khuzestan province with circovirus which causes of BPFD, this issue should be taken into consideration during the clinical examination of cockatiels with the above-mentioned symptoms in order to make a differential diagnosis from similar diseases and apply the necessary supportive treatments and prevention of non-beneficial treatments.