(NZ)Virus threatens native parrots

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Virus threatens native parrots-------------

 

(From Promed 18/October/2002)

 

A lethal disease that threatens native parrots may have found its way to

New Zealand through bird smuggling. The disease, psittacine pox, was

discovered in an Auckland aviary among rosellas that were being examined by

a veterinarian.

 

Auckland Zoo wildlife disease expert Richard Jakob-Hoff said smuggling was

one way the virus could have got to New Zealand.

 

" We don't know how it got here and we're not saying the birds that carried

the disease were smuggled, but we know the bird smuggling industry is a

major one and lucrative, " Mr Jakob-Hoff said.

 

He is investigating the possible transfer of psittacine pox to native

parrots such as kaka, kakariki, kea, and kakapo on behalf of

the Department of Conservation.

 

Most of those species are tucked away on predator-free islands; kaka on

Little Barrier Island, kakariki on Tiritiri Matangi Island and kakapo on

remote Codfish Island, off the southern end of the South Island.

But the virus could travel swiftly through a previously unexposed parrot

population.

 

Kea could be at risk because they live in mainland alpine areas, and some

kaka are still found in the Waitakere Ranges near Auckland.

 

Mr Jakob-Hoff said psittacine pox was just one of the wildlife health

problems discovered over the past 2 years and the zoo was struggling under

the demand for its services.

 

" The demand for our veterinary services from DoC, the Ministry of

Agriculture and Forestry and overseas just keeps on growing. "

 

A major part of the zoo's work is running health checks on dozens of kiwi

chicks raised in captivity before they are released into the wild. That

work turned up a previously unknown blood parasite that could have a big

effect on the health of kiwi chicks 18 months ago.

 

" That one came as a bit of a surprise, " said Mr Jakob-Hoff. " Just by

looking we have found quite a lot of things that were previously unknown in

wildlife. " --ProMED-mail<promed

[Pox is a disease caused by poxviruses. There are many strains of

poxviruses that affect birds (avian poxviruses), and probably all birds are

susceptible to pox. Strains of poxviruses cause disease in specific types

of birds, for instance fowl pox in poultry and psittacine pox in parrots,

budgies, and other psittacines. Specific strains of psittacine poxvirus

will affect different species of psittacines in different ways. Strain

characteristics are determined either naturally or experimentally on the

basis of the effects in different species or families of birds. Psittacine

poxvirus does not infect humans.

There is a risk the virus will become established in the country as a

result of contact between infected captive birds and wild birds via biting

insects, or direct contact within the introduced wild parrot population.

The potential consequences for indigenous psittacines is of great concern;

their susceptibility to the strain that infected the rosellas is not known.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)

(<http://202.78.129.207/biosecurity/pests-diseases/animals/psittacine-pox/in

dex.htm>)

says the disease could have severe adverse consequences on the critically

endangered kakapo, as well as affecting populations of indigenous parrots

such as the kaka, kea, and kakariki. The most likely scenario is a high

mortality rate when psittacine poxvirus is introduced into a susceptible

population that has not previously been exposed. Extracted in part from the

International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) magazine:

<http://www.iwrc-online.org/magazine/2002/autumn/news.html#psittacine> -

Mod.TG]

..................................tg/pg/mpp

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