Mystery virus threatens an already critically endangered Australian parrot species

["Tony Lawson" <>]

By John Platt Nov 11, 2010 02:45 PM 0

The orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), one of the world's most 
critically endangered birds, could lose its bid at survival as a virus 
threatens its vitally important captive breeding program.
The unidentified stomach virus that has struck the program causes the birds 
to lose their feathers and weakens their immune systems, Shane Radial, a 
veterinary professor with Charles Sturt University, told the Australian 
Broadcasting Co. Because the captive parrots live in close proximity to one 
another, "infections just find it easier to spread from one bird to 
another," Radial said.
About 160 to 170 orange-bellied parrots live under the auspices of three 
captive breeding programs: two located on Australia's mainland at 
Healesville Sanctuary and Adelaide Zoo; one at Taroona on the island of 
Tasmania. Radial did not identify in which facility the disease is present. 
Another 50 of the birds exist in the wild.
The nature of the virus has not been established. An unidentified scientist 
posting on the ProMED mail program for the International Society for 
Infectious Diseases theorized that it could be avian influenza or 
proventricular dilatation disease, which hampers food digestion.
The orange-bellied parrot was listed in 2006 as critically endangered under 
Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Once 
common in Tasmania and Australia, the species has declined in the past 100 
years as its coastal salt marsh habitat was destroyed for agricultural 
purposes. Other threats include the pet trade; the introduction of invasive 
weeds, some of which are toxic to the birds; and the introduction of 
non-native predators such as foxes and feral cats. According to the 
Australian government's national recovery plan for the species, the captive 
breeding program was previously set back by outbreaks of psittacine 
circoviral disease in 1991 and what may have been a herpes virus in 2005 and 
2006, which killed 43 birds. It is not yet known if the current outbreak has 
killed any of the birds or just weakened them.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=mystery-virus-threatens-an-already-2010-11-11&WT.mc_id=SA_CAT_EVO_20101115

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