title: No contact transmission of avian bornavirus in experimentally infected cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) and domestic canaries (Serinus canaria forma domestica).
abstract: Avian bornaviruses (ABV) are the causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), a widely distributed disease of parrots. Distinct ABV lineages were also found in various non-psittacine avian species, such as canaries, but the pathogenic role of ABV in these species is less clear. Despite the wide distribution of ABV in captive parrots and canaries, its mode of transmission is poorly understood: both horizontal transmission via the urofaecal-oral route and vertical transmission are discussed to play a role. In this study we investigated pathology and horizontal transmission of ABV in domestic canaries (Serinus canaria forma domestica) and cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus), two natural host species commonly used for experimental ABV infections. ABV inoculation resulted in persistent infection of all inoculated animals from both species. ABV-infected cockatiels exhibited PDD-like symptoms, such as neurologic signs or shedding of undigested seeds. In contrast, infected domestic canaries did not develop clinical disease. Interestingly, we did not detect viral RNA in cloacal swabs and organ samples or ABV-specific antibodies in serum samples of contact-exposed sentinel birds from either species at any time during a four months observation period. Our results strongly indicate that horizontal transmission of ABV by direct contact is inefficient in immunocompetent fully fledged domestic canaries and cockatiels.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: Dennis.Rubbenstroth@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubbenstroth
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University Ludwig Maximilian Munich, Sonnenstr. 18, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brosinski
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University Ludwig Maximilian Munich, Sonnenstr. 18, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinder
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University Ludwig Maximilian Munich, Veterinärstr. 13, D-80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaspers
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University Ludwig Maximilian Munich, Sonnenstr. 18, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korbel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staeheli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D028981:Bornaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002171:Canaries / Q000821:virology*; D046410:Cockatoos / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D058507:Host Specificity; D008297:Male; D018701:Mononegavirales Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Avian bornavirus, ABV; Bornaviridae; Experimental infection; Horizontal transmission; Proventricular dilatation disease, PDD