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Last night on Telemundo (A Spanish language TV network.) there was a brief story about a Cockatoo with severe Beak and Feather disease. The bird had virtually no feathers. It was playing happily around its cage and was interacting with its caretakers.

This is a hideous disease and, although many species of parrots can become victims, cockatoos seem to have the least resistance. For them it is 100% fatal. (Neotropical parrots can and often survive this disease.)

This is also only disease of YOUNG cockatoos. There is an anatomical structure in young birds called the Bursa of Fabricus. This atrophies with age. Once it has disappeared in cockatoos they seem immune. This occurs at about three years of age.

Owners of cockatoos less than three years old should take EXTREME care to avoid having their birds by near infected birds. This is a very resistant virus. One can bring enough virus home on clothing to infect birds!!

This disease in the wild threatens some species with extinction.

rpavlis2 wrote:Last night on Telemundo (A Spanish language TV network.) there was a brief story about a Cockatoo with severe Beak and Feather disease. The bird had virtually no feathers. It was playing happily around its cage and was interacting with its caretakers.

This is a hideous disease and, although many species of parrots can become victims, cockatoos seem to have the least resistance. For them it is 100% fatal. (Neotropical parrots can and often survive this disease.)

This is also only disease of YOUNG cockatoos. There is an anatomical structure in young birds called the Bursa of Fabricus. This atrophies with age. Once it has disappeared in cockatoos they seem immune. This occurs at about three years of age.

Owners of cockatoos less than three years old should take EXTREME care to avoid having their birds by near infected birds. This is a very resistant virus. One can bring enough virus home on clothing to infect birds!!

This disease in the wild threatens some species with extinction.

PBFD is in fact a very sad disease but can infect many of the "old world" species. Here is a very good article on it.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... 170222.htm

Thank God in the works now is a shot for this (as reported in Bird Talk magazine two months ago.) Also there is a blood test for this readily available through places like Avian Bio-Tech. Another thing you can do to prevent this (PBFD) is to do regular swabs of your aviary and send that swab in for tests. It does not take CSI to do tests anymore, as responsible aviculturists we do so much more now to prevent these diseases and thing is.... it is not that expensive!

Wow, I wish I could see that - and record it to educate others about it. Its one thing to read & be told about the severity of the disease but to actually see it. That's a whole different ball game.