Amelia,

Sorry to hear about your Nanday. It is always sad to read about passed companions:(

Based on your e-mail, we don’t know why your Nanday passed. Zvian Bornavirus infection is not a disease. The positive test only indicates infection (or just exposure depending on the test) to the virus. The disease (avian ganglioneuritis) is a completely different problem that has been tied to avian Bornavirus infection. Currently, the ONLY means to definitively diagnose the disease is to biopsy affected tissue. At current time, approximately 20-30% of tested pet parrots are Bornavirus positive. However, a very small percentage of those birds will develop disease (avian ganglioneuritis). We have a very poor understanding of how a naturally infected bird develops the disease. Please understand that the research conducted on avian ganlioneuritis almost exlcusively involves infecting birds in very unnatural situations.

Even if your other birds test positive for Bornavirus, that does not mean they got the virus from your Nanday. It also does not mean they will develop disease.

This testing has brought about a lot of confusion and in some cases fear. My recommendation, as always, is to provide solid nutrition, excercise, foraging and supervised sunshine therapy AND have regular exams and appropriate labwork as directed by your avian veterinarian.

I hope this helps,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

Hi, I had a Nanday conure that we believe had bornavirus, she was 2 when she passed away unexpectedly in the morning, she was always eating, sleeping, and towards the end she got really dehydrated, was going to give her a water recipe to rehydrate her the morning of her passing but unfortunately I never got to do so. I have a 19 year old African grey and before we thought she had anything her and her mate were allowed out of their cages, there’s been a few times where my African Grey has bit my Nanday, I’m afraid my African Grey might have bornavirus, he shows no symptoms, but knowing that direct contact can cause the virus to spread im quite nervous. She would go on the bottom of his cage to eat his left overs, never saw any of her poop on the bottom of his cage though. Her and her mate were only allowed out very shortly, we have two other birds a pionus and cockatoo and they would sometimes go to attack them, so we had to keep them in their cages at all times unless we let them out with super vision. What is the possibility that my bird might have gotten it from my Nanday?

Gaudelia,

Your story of your grey parrot is heartbreaking. I am sorry to read that she had to be euthanized. From your description, it sounds like she had heart and/or arterial disease (atherosclerosis) as this is more commonly the cause of strokes and seizures. It is not clear from your message if your bird was bornavirus positive. Either way, bornavirus is not a disease and avian ganglioneuritis (sometimes associated with bornavirus infection) does not typically cause strokes. However, it can cause seizures if the brain is affected. The avian veterinary community is working hard to better understand atherosclerosis. Just recently, using advanced CAT scan techniques, we have been able to better diagnose atherosclerosis and begin treatment that has in many cases led to significant improvement. For those reading, please do not feed seeds, nuts, peanuts, animal based foods (especially meat) and simple sugar based diets (flour based foods- tortillas, chips, crackers, pasta, etc; fruit juices, dried fruits) to pet parrots. While these foods do not always result in problems, we see a much higher incidence of disease associated with feeding these foods to parrots. Also, work to make exercise a daily part of your parrot’s routine. Last feeding foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (chia, flax and hemp seed) or through omega-3 fatty acid supplements can be beneficial to reducing risk of atherosclerosis development.

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

I have auto immune, my African Gray diagnosed with ABV PDD she was my hand reared baby limited contact with other birds.

Mariam,

Seeds in the droppings is NOT diagnostic for PDD. There are many things that can cause these signs. The first thing to do is take your bird to an experienced avian veterinarian!

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)

Simon,

While I cannot comment on your bird, I can make some general statements. #1 the presence of avian borna virus (ABV) does not equate to disease. At current time, approximately 25-35% of pet parrots test positive for ABV- of which the vast majority are not sick. This makes diagnosis of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) very difficult since so many birds are ABV positive and few develop the disease. At current time, the ONLY means to diagnose PDD is to get a biopsy of affected tissue. #2 Many diseases contribute to birds being wobbly or unstable. PDD is one of those diseases and should be considered. At least in my experience working around the US, birds with signs of neurological disease have something other than PDD. Neurological diseases are notoriously difficult to definitively diagnose. However, advanced imaging (CT, MRI, etc) has helped tremendously. A correct diagnosis is essential to sorting out and treating many neurological diseases in birds. #3 There is no proven treatment for PDD (not ABV). However, medications such as Celebrex (and other experimental drugs), diet modification and more have provided significant improvement with many birds. I have seen clinical signs in some bird patients completely resolve using meloxicam, omega-3 fatty acids and diet modification. I don’t consider these birds completely ‘cured’. However, some act pretty normal to me! #4 Previous disease may be an indication of another underlying problem which goes back to # 2 above!

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)