Infectious Bird Diseases
I am writing about Infectious Bird Diseases to help you understand and be aware of these disease and to explain to you how very important excellent nutrition, excellent management and excellent quarantine are in preventing your birds from developing infectious bird diseases. I discuss much of this and provide much more detail in my book Caring for Birds with Love and Gratitude that you can buy when you click here.
Traditionally we have been taught (albeit quite purposely) the concept that viruses cause viral diseases, bacteria cause bacterial diseases and so on. This concept is very dis-empowering and a gross distortion and over-simplification of the truth, in my opinion. Although the presence of a particular type of virus (or its quantum frequency patterns) seem to be an essential aspect of most so-called viral diseases there are many, many other factors in the equation that determine whether or not an individual bird or flock develops and maintains clinical disease. In the instance of pet, caged and aviary birds examples include quality of life, nutrition, management, quarantine, hygiene, sanitation, exposure to toxins and toxic electro-magnetic radiations. For these reasons I commonly insert the word "associated" into terms such as "viral diseases" to change them to in this instance, virus-associated diseases.
How can all this help you, you might wonder? It can help give you a paradigm leap in understanding of infectious bird diseases and it can serve as a gentle reminder of the deeper understanding of the perhaps new concept that you are already embracing. This then empowers me to also help you and your birds in the event of them developing or experiencing infectious bird diseases. In otherwords it empowers us to become aware of many more options beyond euthanasia, surgery or drugs that we can use to help sick birds regain their health.
Bird specialists such as myself have been required to learn much about and be examined about many, many infectious bird diseases and how to distinguish one from another, how to manage outbreaks of disease and treat the disease (if effective treatments are know in traditional veterinary science).
So let's talk more about Infectious Bird Diseases and list some of the more common virus-associated diseases of birds, bacteria-associated diseases of birds, fungus-associated diseases of birds, protozoa-associated diseases of birds and parasite-associated diseases of birds.
Traditionally we have been taught (albeit quite purposely) the concept that viruses cause viral diseases, bacteria cause bacterial diseases and so on. This concept is very dis-empowering and a gross distortion and over-simplification of the truth, in my opinion. Although the presence of a particular type of virus (or its quantum frequency patterns) seem to be an essential aspect of most so-called viral diseases there are many, many other factors in the equation that determine whether or not an individual bird or flock develops and maintains clinical disease. In the instance of pet, caged and aviary birds examples include quality of life, nutrition, management, quarantine, hygiene, sanitation, exposure to toxins and toxic electro-magnetic radiations. For these reasons I commonly insert the word "associated" into terms such as "viral diseases" to change them to in this instance, virus-associated diseases.
How can all this help you, you might wonder? It can help give you a paradigm leap in understanding of infectious bird diseases and it can serve as a gentle reminder of the deeper understanding of the perhaps new concept that you are already embracing. This then empowers me to also help you and your birds in the event of them developing or experiencing infectious bird diseases. In otherwords it empowers us to become aware of many more options beyond euthanasia, surgery or drugs that we can use to help sick birds regain their health.
Bird specialists such as myself have been required to learn much about and be examined about many, many infectious bird diseases and how to distinguish one from another, how to manage outbreaks of disease and treat the disease (if effective treatments are know in traditional veterinary science).
So let's talk more about Infectious Bird Diseases and list some of the more common virus-associated diseases of birds, bacteria-associated diseases of birds, fungus-associated diseases of birds, protozoa-associated diseases of birds and parasite-associated diseases of birds.
Virus-associated diseases of birds
- Psittacine Beak Feather Disease (PBFD) is associated with one or more psittacine circovirus infections
- Avian Polyoma Disease is associated with a avian polyomavirus infection
- Avian Influenza is associated with one or more avian influenza virus infections
- Pacheco's Disease is associated with a Pacheco's herpesvirus infection
- Proventricular Dilation Disease and Avian Peripheral Ganglioneuropathy is associated with an avian Bornavirus infection
- Avian Papillomatosis is associated with an avian papillomavirus infection
- Canary pox is associated with an avian poxvirus infection
- Fowl pox is associated with a specific avian poxvirus infection
- Pigeon pox is associated with a specific avian poxvirus infection
- Psittacine Pruritic Pollyfolliculosis is likely to be shown to be associated with a specific psittacine poxvirus infection
- Adenoviral heptatitis is associated with avian Adenovirus infection
- Mareks Disease of poultry is associated with an avian herpesvirus infection
- Avian Leucosis
- Avian Lymphosarcoma
- Avian Infectious LaryngoTracheitis (ILT)
- Avian Parainfluenza is associated with one or more avian parainfluenza virus infections
- Newcastle Disease is associated with one or more strains of paramyxovirus infections
- yes, there are many more!
Bacteria-associated diseases of birds
- Avian Chlamydiosis is associated with one or more strains of Chlamydia psittaci infections
- Avian Paseurellosis is associated with a Pasteurella (has other names) infection
- Avian Colibacillosis is associated with one or more Escherichia coli (E.coli) infections
- Avian Mycoplasmosis is associated with avian Mycoplasma infections
- Avian Tuberculosis is associated with avian Mycobacterium infections
- Avian Salmonellosis is associated with avian Salmonella infections
- Avian Necrotic Enteritis can be associated with Clostridium infections
- Avian Botulism is associated with Clostridium botulinum toxin ingestion
- Lymes Disease is associated wtih Borelia infection
- Leptospirosis is associated with Leptospira infections
- Other coliform diseases are associated with Proteus, Pseudomonas and/or Klebsiella infections
- Staph infections
- Streptococcus infections
- Enterococcus infections
- Yes, there are more!
Fungi-associated diseases of birds
- Megabacteria Associated Disease (MAD) is associated with the avian Gastric Yeast Macrorhabdus ornithogaster infection
- Aspergillosis is associated with Aspergillus sp. infections
- Cryptococcosis is associated with 2 known Cryptococcus sp. infections
- Candidiasis and Thrush is associated with Candida albicans and other Candida sp. infections
- Ringworm is associated with Trichophyton and/or Microsporum sp. infections
- Serratia
- and yes, there are more!
- Aflatoxicosis is associated with ingestion of aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus spp.
Protozoa-associated diseases of birds
- Trichomoniasis and Bird Canker is associated with Trichomonas sp. infections
- Coccidiosis is associated with one more Eimeria sp or other protozoan sp. infections
- Cryptosporidiosis is associated with Cryptosporidium sp. infections
- Histomoniasis and Black-head are associated with Histomonas sp infections
- Hexamita sp.
- Giardia sp.
- Cochlosoma sp.
- other species
Internal parasite-associated diseases of birds
It is easier just to list some of the parasites in some instances
- Ascaridiasis is associated with roundworm such as Ascaridia sp. infections
- Gape Worm is associated with Syngamus trachea infections
- Capillariasis is associated with various Capillaria sp. infections
- Acuaria spp.
- Strongyloides spp.
- Microfilaria
- Filaroids
- Flukes
- Tapeworms (many spp.)
External parasite-associated diseases of birds
- Tracheal mite gasping and Air Sac Mite is associated with Sternostoma sp. infections
- Northern Poultry mite
- Red mite
- Scaly face and Scaly leg is associated with various Cnemidocoptes sp. infections
- Stickfast fleas
- Mosquitos
- Sand flies and Culicoides sp
- Black flies
- Tabanid Flies
- Louse Flies
- Body lice
- Feather lice
- Feather mites
- Myasis and Fly-strike
Gold Coast Bird Vet Specialist Dr Ross Perry, 23 Cornwall Drive, Elanora 4221 consulting strictly by appointment. To make appointment please ring 07 55226124 or 0419693279 or 0435848778. Similarly long distance phone or Skype (DoctorRossPerry) or iChat (DoctorRossPerry) consultations.
