jmfleish
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It isn't all New World species. I have Cockatoos and greys and Amazons and have for years (and two Ekkies) and have had absolutely no problems at all. I had a wonderful Patagonian Conure about a decade ago maybe longer. I was well aware that B&Gs were at risk for PHS but I had no idea that Conures could be too. I learned the hard way and almost killed my Patty. At first we didn't know what was going on and my vets thought she had Asper. We finally figured it out and I had to rehome her. The only thing that saved her life was my understanding of PHS and my willingness to let her go to a new home. She lived with her new family with issues for a few more years and was dearly loved but the damage was done. I will never, and I repeat, never have dusty birds with Conures or any kind of Macaw ever again. Feel free to read my story and learn from me or take your chances...the life lessons can be heart breaking.I think we can all agree on two things:
1) there is definitely something happening when power down species are kept with New World species
2) we don't have a good understanding of the mechanisms leading to these deaths
Asking questions to clarify isn't an attack, or a denial that *something* is going on. It is important to ask questions like "why doesn't this happen with air sac mites" - is it a question of scale, is it something to do with where powder down can get in an affected bird's system, is there some kind of biochemical interaction going on, does powder down provoke an immune response that air sac mites don't? At this stage, I think we're pushing at the limits of our knowledge.
Understanding the mechanisms involved may also help us with husbandry best practice, and may help us with managing the conditions. There isn't a clearcut distinction between conditions that are always fatal vs those that are chronic but can be managed. Look at something like HIV/AIDS. In the 1980s, it was a death sentence. If you don't have access to antiretroviral therapy, it's still a death sentence. If you do have access to ART, you can live a long and health life with HIV. It all depends on whether you have some kind of medication to control the condition.
If I won the lottery I'd love to throw money at this problem and fund a multimillion pound research project, but sadly that's unlikely to happen!