@article{3398,
  author = {M Barao Da Cunha and J Correia and T Fagulha and M Fevereiro},
  title = {Pacheco’s parrot disease in macaws of the lisbon’s zoological garden. Description of an outbreak, diagnosis and management, including vaccination},
  abstract = {The Lisbon’s Zoological Garden, Portugal, has maintained for many years a largecollection of psittacine birds without any serious health problems. Unexpectedly,in April 1999, a total of nine macaws died after a short period of illness. Clinicalsigns consisted mainly of anorexia, ruffled feathers and yellowish droppings. Aherpesvirus was isolated from brain, trachea, lung, liver, spleen, kidney and intestineof each of the examined dead birds, confirming that all animals succumbedduring viraemia. Serotyping of the isolate in cross neutralization tests withreference sera prove that the outbreak was caused by serotype 3 of Pacheco’sparrot disease herpesviruses. An autogenous, formalin-inactivated vaccine withadjuvant (aluminium hydroxid gel) was prepared from one of the isolates andinjected intramuscularly 14 days and six weeks after the onset of mortality in anattempt to protect the remaining psittacine birds in the zoo from the disease. Theautogenous vaccine was well tolerated and was able to rapidly stop virus spreadand morbidity and mortality among the psittacine birds. Follow-up studies demonstratethat all nine blood samples from vaccinated birds obtained nine month’after the second vaccination contain neutralizing antibodies. Twenty five month’after vaccination two out of four serum samples were still antibody positive. Noherpesvirus was isolated from faecal samples nine and twenty five months afterthe onset of the outbreak. These data prove that the autogenous vaccine playeda major role in containing a severe outbreak of Pacheco’s parrot disease in a largecollection of psittacine birds.},
  year = {2007},
  journal = {Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift},
  volume = {114},
  pages = {423-428},
  month = {11/2007},
  publisher = {M. & H. Schaper GmbH},
  address = {Hannover},
  issn = {0341-6593},
  doi = {10.2377/0341-6593-114-423},
  language = {English},
}