An outbreak of chlamydiosis in captive blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) in Brazil.
Fifty-eight blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) nestlings, recovered from the illegal trade, became ill at a wildlife rehabilitation center in São Paulo State, Brazil. Clinical signs observed were nonspecific, and the mortality rate was 96.5% despite initial treatment with norfloxacin. Postmortem examinations were performed on 10 birds. Liver and spleen smears showed structures suggestive of Chlamydophila psittaci in four cases. Diagnosis was confirmed by seminested polymerase chain reaction on tissue samples. Other birds from the same location showed no clinical signs of the disease, although high complement fixation titers to C. psittaci were found in 10 adult psittacines. All birds in the facility were treated with doxycycline. The two surviving nestlings did not recover after two doxycycline treatments and were euthanatized. The high mortality rate observed in this outbreak was attributed to poor conditions of husbandry and delays in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. After diagnosis, improved control measures for chlamydiosis were instituted.
Raso
Tânia de Freitas
Tde F
Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 14884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
Godoy
Sílvia Nery
SN
Milanelo
Liliane
L
de Souza
Cláudia Almeida Igayara
CA
Matuschima
Eliana Reiko
ER
Araújo Júnior
João Pessoa
JP
Pinto
Aramis Augusto
AA
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010311:Parrots; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline