The PBFD virus is extremely infectious, and also environmentally stable. Infected birds have this virus in their blood for some period, and may exhibit signs of illness months after they are infected with PBFD-virus. Loose feathers Abnormally formed feathers that are loose should make you suspicious. Now, the type of feathers involved initially depends on the stage of molting, and when the feather damage actually occurs. In baby budgies less than 2 months old, the feather tracts could remain affected for several weeks. But in older birds, the progressive feather damage occurs in the molts that follow, making it a prolonged period. Health Care Beak lesions Beak lesions this is inclusive of the ulcers and plaques in the roof of the mouth, and also the progressive elongation and fractures that occur in the beak covering. Systemic infection Most common in young cockatoos and African grey parrots, this is characterized by sudden depression, loss of appetite, regurgitation, crop stasis, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Dark patches in feather shafts Depression in young birds for several days followed by sudden appearance of dark red-brown patches in the shafts of developing feathers, or premature shedding of feathers with a deformed or a constricted base could mean a lot of trouble. Some chronic problems because of PBFD: A) Feather loss is replaced by abnormal feathers during each molt that occurs successively. B) If one were to talk about the suspicious changes then it would be retention of feathers sheaths, red-brow = = = Health Care patches (accumulation of dying cells) in feathers that are developing, fracture of a feather shaft, deformities and constrictions observed at the base of the normal feathers. C) Some birds could even die right after there is an indication of malformed feathers but others may live in a featherless condition, even for years. PBFD is most commonly reported in birds less than 3 years of age, but it can also occur in older birds, that have not shown any previous signs of feather abnormalities. It is not possible to diagnose this disease by feather examination alone. Reason? Well, visible feather changes, such as the ones cause by the PBFD virus, are also caused by a host of other factors like: Avian polyomavirus, adenovirus, trauma, bacterial folliculitis, fungal folliculitis, septicemias, malnutrition, endocrine abnormalities and some drug reactions, specifically to penicillins and cephalosporins. Diagnosing PBFD Health Care A DNA probe test is used to find the virus in the blood, and this is used for both the birds that show feather abnormalities and the ones that do not show such abnormities. An effective treatment against the PBFD virus is yet to be found. With good supportive care , the birds can survive for years but must be kept in complete isolation, so that the other birds are not affected. |