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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Brachyspira spp. (Serpulina spp.) in birds: a review and results from a study of Swedish game birds.

Only limited data concerning the prevalence of intestinal spirochetes are available in game birds. This paper describes the prevalence and biochemical reactions of spirochetes isolated from 25 common partridges, 7 pheasants and 16 mallards originating from nine Swedish game-bird farms. The birds, which had been submitted for post-mortem examination due to various problems, showed a variety of underlying diseases. Additionally, fecal droppings from 22 common partridges, 20 pheasants and 20 mallards obtained at one of the farms were included in the study. Intestinal spirochetes were isolated from 85.4% of the game birds and from 71% of the fecal droppings. Seven biochemical types were identified. Seventeen per cent of all isolates were classified as Brachyspira pilosicoli and 3% as B. intermedia. One isolate showed strong beta-hemolysis and a positive indole reaction that is consistent with B. hyodysenteriae. In addition, three previously unknown biochemical types were found. Unclassified spirochetes in presumed mixed cultures were observed in 21% of all samples of fecal droppings. Histologic examination of spirochete-positive birds revealed numerous spirochetes in the lumen and crypts of the cecum, in some cases densely adhered by one end to the luminal surface. The significance of the findings is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Foot-and-mouth disease: susceptibility of domestic poultry and free-living birds to infection and to disease--a review of the historical and current literature concerning the role of birds in spread of foot-and-mouth disease viruses.

Ruminants and pigs are the dominant natural hosts of food-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses. Approximately 70 additional mammalian species are found to be susceptible under natural or experimental conditions. Reptilia, amphibia, and fish are probably naturally resistant to infection. According to the reviewed literature, domestic birds (chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks and geese) have been experimentally infected with some strains of FMD viruses and may develop lesions suggestive of FMD such as vesicular lesions on the comb, wattles, eye lids, and feet. Since chickens are to some extent coprophagous, chickens get infected by ingestion of virus under conditions of natural exposure or their plumage gets contaminated in an infectious environment. Thus, domestic birds kept in free-run systems may serve as virus vectors for short distances. Free-living birds, especially starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), sea gulls (Larus canus), house-sparrows (Passer domesticus) have been successfully experimentally infected and developed vesicular lesions on the skin and mucosal membranes of the mouth. During epizootics of FMD the plumage of these free-living birds can be contaminated with FMD viruses and the virus is spread over long distances during migration periods in spring and autumn. Thus migrating birds may assume an active role in long distance dissemination of FMD viruses.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Distribution of Malassezia organisms on the skin of unaffected psittacine birds and psittacine birds with feather-destructive behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether Malassezia organisms can be detected via cytologic examination and fungal culture of samples from the skin surface of psittacine birds and determine whether the number of those organisms differs between unaffected psittacines and those that have chronic feather-destructive behavior or differs by body region. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 50 unaffected psittacines and 53 psittacines that had feather-destructive behavior. PROCEDURE: Samples were collected by use of acetate tape strips from the skin of the head, neck, proventer, propatagium, inguinal region, and preen gland area of each bird; 0.5-cm(2) sample areas were examined microscopically for yeast, and samples were also incubated on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Polymerase chain reaction assays specific for Malassezia spp, saprophytic fungi, and Candida albicans were performed on DNA prepared from cultured colonies; nested PCR evaluation for Malassezia pachydermatis was then performed. RESULTS: Microscopically, 63 of 618 (10%) tape-strip samples contained yeast. Thirty cultured colonies were assessed via PCR assays, and all yielded negative results for Malassezia spp; C albicans was identified in 2 colony samples. The numbers of yeast identified microscopically in psittacines with feather-destructive behavior and in unaffected birds did not differ significantly, and numbers did not differ by body region. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Yeast were identified infrequently via cytologic examination of samples from the skin surface of unaffected psittacine birds or those that had chronic feather-destructive behavior. If yeast are identified on the skin of birds with feather-destructive behaviors, fungal culture of skin samples should be performed to identify the organism.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Chlamydiosis in birds in Great Britain. 1. Serological reactions to chlamydia in birds sampled between 1974 and 1983.

A total of 6593 serum samples from birds, received for diagnostic testing or surveys between 1974 and 1983, were titrated by direct complement fixation (CF) test against Chlamydia psittaci antigen. The percentage of positive reactions found was variable for domestic poultry, ranging from 1.5 in chickens to 22.2 in geese, and was highest in pigeons Columba livia (47.3) and collared doves Streptopelia decaocto (51.4). A moderate incidence was found for game birds (29.0), wild ducks (23.3) and imported birds of the order Psittaciformes (15.9). The highest titres were found in pigeons, collared doves and psittacines, confirming that infection is both frequent and active in these birds in Britain. Results of isolation of chlamydia from similar sources will be reported subsequently.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Detection of West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes and seropositive juvenile birds in the vicinity of virus-positive dead birds.

Mosquitoes and wild birds were collected from three sites near locations in the New York City metropolitan area where single, West Nile (WN) virus-positive dead birds were found early in the 2000 transmission season. The mosquitoes were tested for the presence of infectious virus with a Vero cell culture assay and for WN viral RNA by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocols. Serum samples from wild birds were tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies against WN virus. Infectious WN virus and WN viral RNA were found in Culex species adult mosquitoes from each of the three sites, and a seropositive hatch-year house sparrow (Passer domesticus) was found in one of the three sites. Molecular techniques used to identify the species in the positive mosquito pools found that most of the pools contained a combination of Culex pipiens and Cx. restuans. The minimum infection rate in Culex species mosquitoes from the sites ranged from 0.2 to 6.0 per 1,000 specimens tested. The results demonstrated that, at least early in the transmission season, detection of a WN virus-positive dead bird indicates a local WN virus transmission cycle. This information is valuable in focusing subsequent surveillance and vector management programs. In addition, the RT-PCR procedure for detecting WN viral RNA in mosquito pools detected more positive pools than did the Vero cell plaque assay.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Why birds kill: cross-sectional analysis of U.S. Air Force bird strike data.

In the past, bird strikes have been analyzed in an effort to reduce costs by reducing strikes. No one has evaluated bird strike data from the perspective of injury prevention and the cost in human lives. This is a cross-sectional analysis of 22,423 bird strikes reported in the U.S. Air Force in 1974-88. Summary statistics revealed patterns previously reported by others. Relative risk analysis of fatal and injurious bird strikes revealed several statistically significant associations. Fatal or injurious outcomes were associated with strikes in the F-4 and B-1. In addition, windshield penetration was likely to cause death or injury. Flying on a bombing range or flying at speeds greater than 556 km/h (300 knots indicated airspeed) were also more likely to lead to a serious outcome. This analysis can be used as an adjunct to previous analytical methods and, I hope, can provide insight into more focused strategies for saving both lives and aircraft.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interactions between viscerotropic velogenic Newcastle disease virus and pet birds of six species. II. Viral evolution through bird passage.

Following in vivo studies in pet birds of 6 species, 279 Newcastle disease virus (NDV) reisolates were selected for characterization by the embryonated-chicken-egg mean-death-time, plaque-assay, hemagglutination-elution, and hemagglutinin-thermostability techniques. Initially, the 279 isolates were screened by the mean-death-time and plaque-assay techniques, and 5 sequential isolates were chosen for each of 3 budgerigars and 2 parrots for characterization by the other 2 in vitro assays to determine whether the Colorado Psittacine Isolate of viscerotropic velogenic (VV) NDV (COPI-VVNDV) had evolved during passage through pet birds. Nineteen isolates were then selected for chicken back-passage studies. Fifteen of the 19 isolates were chosen for potential avirulence for 8-week-old domestic chickens. The 4 remaining isolates produced large red plaques when assayed and were therefore used as virulent virus controls likely to be VVNDV. Subsequent in vitro characterization of selected back-passage chicken NDV isolates demonstrated little change in the 4 parameters originally evaluated for the pet-bird isolates used for the back-passage studies. Although the psittacine isolate slowly evolved to relatively avirulent strains of NDV by passage in pet birds, reversion did not occur during the chicken back-passage studies.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Complement resistance-related traits among Escherichia coli isolates from apparently healthy birds and birds with colibacillosis.

In this study, 294 Escherichia coli isolates from birds with colibacillosis were collected from disease outbreaks throughout the United States and were compared with 75 fecal E. coli isolates of apparently healthy chickens by their possession of several purported virulence genes, resistance to rough-lipopolysaccharide-specific bacteriophages (rLPSr), and elaboration of capsule. Traits were selected for study on the basis of their association with complement resistance. The genes targeted in this study included those encoding colicin V (cvaC) and the outer membrane proteins TraT (traT), OmpA (ompA), and Iss (iss). No significant differences were found between the two groups of isolates in the occurrence of cvaC-, traT-, or ompA-homologous sequences or in rLPSr. Only a few isolates were encapsulated, and the isolates of healthy birds were significantly more likely to be encapsulated than were the isolates of sick birds. However, iss, whether detected through hybridization or amplification, was found in more of the disease-associated isolates than in those of healthy birds. This difference was highly significant. Further, iss sequences were widely distributed among isolates of different serotypes from various avian host species and sites within these hosts. Such results suggest that possession of the iss sequence by an avian E. coli isolate may be a good indicator of that isolate's potential to cause disease. This association warrants further study because iss and the protein it encodes may be useful targets of future colibacillosis control efforts.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increased virulence of modified-live infectious laryngotracheitis vaccine virus following bird-to-bird passage.

Modified-live (ML) infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) vaccine viruses, both tissue-culture-origin (TCO) and chicken-embryo-origin (CEO), were passaged 20 times in specific-pathogen-free chickens. After serial bird-to-bird passage, increased virulence was observed for CEO virus but not TCO virus. Increased mortality and increased severity and duration of respiratory disease were observed in chickens inoculated with chicken-passaged CEO viruses; only mild respiratory disease (no mortality) occurred in chickens inoculated with chicken-passaged TCO viruses. These findings suggest that ML ILT vaccine viruses may increase in virulence after bird-to-bird passage.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Chlamydiosis in birds in Great Britain. 2. Isolations of Chlamydia psittaci from birds sampled between 1976 and 1984.

A total of 1531 diagnostic submissions from birds were examined by culture for the presence of Chlamydia psittaci between June 1976 and December 1984 by growth in NCTC 929 clone L mouse fibroblast cells, pretreated with an inhibitor of cell division, followed by direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Of these, 196 were found positive. The continued importance of psittacine birds as potential sources of infection was shown by the high number of positives (139) obtained from birds of that order. The percentage of submissions found positive was highest in parakeets (30.1) and was fairly high in psittacines as a group (16.6), but the latter figure was exceeded by the group of collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) and wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) (25.0). Domestic poultry generally gave low rates, turkeys being the highest. Both the numbers of submissions and their rates of positives increased between 1980 and 1984. Comparing the isolation rates from the various organs sampled, the intestines gave the highest rate (20.4 per cent positive), closely followed by the other internal sites. The superficial swabbed sites (eye, nasal cavity, cloaca) gave lower rates.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Birds, berries and UV. A note on some consequences of UV vision in birds.

The problem of UV vision in vertebrates is briefly discussed in its historical context. For example, UV vision has been demonstrated in some birds by several authors. Hence the reflectances of plumage, petals of bird-pollinated flowers and of berries in the near UV may play an important rôle within the visual environment of birds. Some data obtained by means of UV photography are presented, and it is shown, that the waxlayer of glaucous fruits is highly reflective in the UV.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Highly conserved linkage homology between birds and turtles: bird and turtle chromosomes are precise counterparts of each other.

The karyotypes of birds, turtles and snakes are characterized by two distinct chromosomal components, macrochromosomes and microchromosomes. This close karyological relationship between birds and reptiles has long been a topic of speculation among cytogeneticists and evolutionary biologists; however, there is scarcely any evidence for orthology at the molecular level. To define the conserved chromosome synteny among humans, chickens and reptiles and the process of genome evolution in the amniotes, we constructed comparative cytogenetic maps of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) and the Japanese four-striped rat snake (Elaphe quadrivirgata) using cDNA clones of reptile functional genes. Homology between the turtle and chicken chromosomes is highly conserved, with the six largest chromosomes being almost equivalent to each other. On the other hand, homology to chicken chromosomes is lower in the snake than in the turtle. Turtle chromosome 6q and snake chromosome 2p represent conserved synteny with the chicken Z chromosome. These results suggest that the avian and turtle genomes have been well conserved during the evolution of the Arcosauria. The avian and snake sex Z chromosomes were derived from different autosomes in a common ancestor, indicating that the causative genes of sex determination may be different between birds and snakes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[West Nile virus genotyping among wild birds belonging to ground and tree-brush bird populations on the territories of the Baraba forest-steppe and Kulunda steppe (2003-2004)].

The paper gives the results of the 2003-2004 examinations of 104 wild birds belonging to land tree-brush complexes from the Baraba forest-steppe and Kulunda steppe for the detection and genotyping West Nile virus (WNV). ELISA and RT-PCR were used to show that in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the south of Western Siberia, WNV circulates among both migrating and settled birds. An analysis of the nucleotide sequence of a protein E gene fragment showed the circulation of WNV genotype Ia in the study birds. A number of revealed amino acid substitutions in surface glycoprotein E are unique for the 2003-2004 Western-Siberian WNV variants and absent in the 2002 Western-Siberian variants, which suggests that there are regional features of the evolution of WNV genotype Ia.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Batrachotoxin alkaloids from passerine birds: a second toxic bird genus (Ifrita kowaldi) from New Guinea.

Batrachotoxins, including many congeners not previously described, were detected, and relative amounts were measured by using HPLC-mass spectrometry, in five species of New Guinean birds of the genus Pitohui as well as a species of a second toxic bird genus, Ifrita kowaldi. The alkaloids, identified in feathers and skin, were batrachotoxinin-A cis-crotonate (1), an allylically rearranged 16-acetate (2), which can form from 1 by sigmatropic rearrangement under basic conditions, batrachotoxinin-A and an isomer (3 and 3a, respectively), batrachotoxin (4), batrachotoxinin-A 3'-hydroxypentanoate (5), homobatrachotoxin (6), and mono- and dihydroxylated derivatives of homobatrachotoxin. The highest levels of batrachotoxins were generally present in the contour feathers of belly, breast, or legs in Pitohui dichrous, Pitohui kirhocephalus, and Ifrita kowaldi. Lesser amounts are found in head, back, tail, and wing feathers. Batrachotoxin (4) and homobatrachotoxin (6) were found only in feathers and not in skin. The levels of batrachotoxins varied widely for different populations of Pitohui and Ifrita, a result compatible with the hypothesis that these birds are sequestering toxins from a dietary source.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1975

The properties of bird feathers as converse piezoelectric transducers and as receptors of microwave radiation. II. Bird feathers as dielectric receptors of microwave radiation.

The characteristics of bird feathers as receptors of microwave fields were investigated in the 10- to 16-GHz region. Experiments were conducted coupling the specimen (feather) to a length of waveguide which served, together with other microwave components, as a primary detector. Microwave power radiation patterns were measured both in the presence and in the absence of the specimen. Results indicated a substantial increase in the microwave power collected in the forward direction and a decrease of the radiation pattern beam width when the feather was present. Fruthermore, some experiemental evidence indicated the possibility of inducing piezoelectric effects in the specimen by audiofrequency pulse-modulated microwave fields. These results are important in view of (i) the fundamental role that feathers play in the life of birds and (ii) the influence of environmental factors on bird behaviour.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic radiology of pet and wild birds: a review. I. Radiographic techniques and radiographs of healthy birds.

By the radiographic examination of pet and wild birds, veterinary clinicians may relatively easily obtain additional information that can be used routinely in their everyday diagnostic and therapeutic work. The first part of the present review summarizes the basic technical conditions of radiological examinations, analyses the radiographic features of healthy birds, and describes the procedure and radiological indications of contrast radiography.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Evolution of the spindlin gene in birds: independent cessation of the recombination of sex chromosomes at the spindlin locus in neognathous birds and tinamous, a palaeognathous avian family.

Tinamous (Aves, Palaeognathae, Tinamiformes) are primitive birds, generally considered to be the sister group to the ratites. Tinamous possess a W sex-chromosome, intermediate in heterochromatization between the largely euchromatic W chromosome of the ratites and the highly condensed W chromosome of the neognathous birds. Of the four genes which are known to have diverged copies on the neognathous avian W and Z chromosome (ATP5A1, CHD1, PKC and SPIN) only the spindlin gene has W- and Z-chromosomal forms in the tinamiformes. This paper describes experiments which show that the sequences of these forms are more similar to each other and to the homologous undifferentiated spindlin gene sequences in the ratite genome than to the W or Z forms of the spindlin gene in other, neognathous species. This suggests that cessation of recombination at the spindlin locus of the ancestral W and Z chromosomes of the paleognathous tinamiformes and the neognathous avian species were independent events.

Animals↗