Dmcveigh
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 4/19/20
- Messages
- 22
- Real Name
- Douglas McVeigh
Today I found out that my five-month old Blue and Gold Macaw that I just took home last Friday from a local breeder in North Carolina tested positive for Avian bornavirus. Believe it or not this is my second experience with a Borna infected parrot from a commercial aviary. My first experience was with an African Grey that I bought from a large aviary in Austin, Texas (JC Aviary). This bird came down with PDD after about three-months and unfortunately died a pretty slow death overnight in an avian hospital. The necropsy confirmed she was infected with Avian bornavirus. This was my first and only bird and also the first and only bird that had ever been in my household, so the infection did not come from my end. This experience is what lead me to have this Macaw tested immediately after I received her. I had explained my last situation to the breeder of this Macaw and was under the belief that my first experience was an unfortunate, isolated incident. I was not realistically expecting a positive test result and was shocked today when I got the call informing me of the results. With all of this being said, has anyone else had their birds tested for this virus? Are infected aviaries more of the norm rather than the exception? Has everybody had their birds tested? If so, what were the results and where did you get the bird? This virus is extremely deceptive as a bird can be extremely healthy and robust despite being infected. Birds can also potentially live many years and maybe even a full life with infection. However you cannot predict or control when the virus will effect the bird. I wonder how many breeders turn the other cheek regarding infection amongst their flock and sell their birds to naive owners anyway? I imagine most people are like me when I got my first bird, they see a happy healthy bird and are then in no rush to have them examined by the vet let alone even knowing that this virus exist. Its not like you are going to point the finger at the aviary if your bird dies of PDD years later.