Birds with Avian Ganglioneuritis

[NNC]

Hello,
I’m a new member so I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place.
i have 5 parrots, a Triton Cockatoo, Yellow Naped Amazon, Congo African Grey, Senegal and an Alexandrine.

I am heartbroken because in the past 6 months my 23 yr. old alexandrine and now my 27 yr. old Congo grey both have Avian Bornavirus And the Ganglioneuritis associated with the virus.
Our alexandrine was so sick with GI issues, seizures and becoming rail thin from not eating, we were going to put him to sleep.
We did all we could and after 6 months of back and forth to our avian vet and injections of Robenacoxib and hand feeding of Harrisons recovery food, he is now stable.

Just a few weeks ago the Grey became ill and we’ve found he also has the virus and associated issues.

Its almost too much to bear. We love these 2 birds so much.

I would like to hear about other people’s experience with this horrid disease and how their birds are doing.

 

[Hankmacaw]

We have few members whose birds currently have PDD. I know that one diagnosed bird died just a short while ago. The owner had been successful in keeping her baby alive for quite some time.

I'm so terribly sorry to learn that your guys are ill with this horrible disease. There are a number of us who can empathize with you, because we have birds with terminal illness and struggle every day - like you - with that burden. We fight constantly for our birds. Our members support one another and are a great comfort.

Welcome to AA.

 

[Clueless]

Welcome to the Avenue.

It helps to talk to people that understand how we love our birds

 

[Ripshod]

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[sunnysmom]

Welcome. So sorry to hear about your birds' health issues. If you post under "Healthy Highway" you might get more responses regarding the illness.

 

[Hawk12237]

Hello and welcome to forum....Below is an insert from my wife's avian vet medical manual on parrots. It may shed some insight and knowledge for you.

Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), also known as macaw wasting disease, neuropathic ganglioneuritis, lymphoplasmacytic ganglioneuritis, psittacine encephalomyelitis, and most recently avian bornavirus (ABV), was first recognized in the late 1970s in macaws imported into the USA and Germany.

The disease primarily affects macaws, conures, and African grey parrots, although all parrots are probably susceptible. The causative agent of this disease is avian bornavirus.
The common presentation of affected birds is chronic weight loss (often following an initial increase in appetite), passage of undigested food (most easily recognized when whole seeds are found in the droppings), and regurgitation. A dilated proventriculus may be seen radiographically.

Neurologic signs (convulsions, tremors, weakness, ataxia, blindness) may occur in some species, with or without concurrent GI signs. Clinical signs may be slowly progressive or develop acutely. Outbreaks are sporadic, with a low morbidity and a high mortality.

Before the discovery of ABV as the causative agent of PDD, the only antemortem diagnosis was identification of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates in the tissues of affected birds, most commonly with a crop biopsy. Histopathologic lesions can be present in the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, nerves of the GI tract, heart, adrenal gland, lungs, and kidneys.

Transmission is fecal/oral, and positive results of PCR testing of choanal, cloacal, or fecal swabs confirms the presence of ABV. Serologic assays such as ELISA can also confirm exposure. Although the presence of ABV in the droppings indicates shedding, many birds are positive for ABV with no clinical signs of PDD. If or when these birds may develop disease is unknown.

Because shedding of the virus is intermittent, one negative result of fecal or cloacal PCR testing does not exclude disease. Testing at least three times at weekly intervals, with all three tests being negative, is best before declaring a bird negative for ABV. Differential diagnoses are heavy metal toxicosis, foreign body intestinal obstruction, internal papillomatosis, internal neoplasia, and GI infections (including bacterial and fungal proventricular infections).

Clinicopathologic findings vary, but increased plasma CK activity and mild lymphocytosis, monocytosis, or heterophilia may be seen. Proventricular biopsies in affected birds are prone to dehiscence and are not done routinely. Crop biopsy is a less invasive diagnostic tool and may be useful if the collected sample contains sufficient innervation to be diagnostic; however, a negative crop biopsy does not exclude the presence of PDD.

Treatment for PDD includes providing easily digestible foods and may be aided by administration of an NSAID (eg, meloxicam, celecoxib). Isolation of positive birds is important in disease prevention. Testing by PCR (a minimum of three tests) and separating positive birds from negative birds is a recommended control measure, although the number of false-negative tests (due to intermittent shedding) makes this a long and potentially difficult task.
ABV is not a long-lived virus in the environment; therefore, good hygiene and ultraviolet light can help to limit spread of disease in a home or aviary setting.

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

I want to wish you welcome and I’m sorry about the illness of your birds