title: Investigation of Different Infection Routes of Parrot Bornavirus in Cockatiels.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the natural infection route of parrot bornavirus (PaBV), the causative agent of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) in psittacines. For this purpose, nine cockatiels ( Nymphicus hollandicus ) were inoculated orally, and nine cockatiels were inoculated intranasally, with a PaBV-4 isolate. To compare the results of the trials, the same isolate and the same experimental design were used as in a previous study where infection was successful by intravenous as well as intracerebral inoculation. After inoculation, the birds were observed for a period of 6 mo and tested for PaBV RNA shedding, virus replication, presence of inflammatory lesions, and PaBV-4 antigen in tissues, as well as specific antibody production. In contrast to the previous study involving intravenous and intracerebral infections, clinical signs typical for PDD were not observed in this study. Additionally, anti-PaBV antibodies and infectious virus were not detected in any investigated bird during the study. Parrot bornavirus RNA was detected in only four birds early after infection (1-34 days postinfection). Furthermore, histopathologic examination did not reveal lesions typical for PDD, and PaBV antigen was not detected in any organ investigated by immunohistochemistry. In summary, oral or nasal inoculation did not lead to a valid infection with PaBV in these cockatiels. Therefore it seems to be questionable that the formerly proposed fecal-oral transmission is the natural route of infection in immunocompetent adult or subadult cockatiels.
authors.affiliation: A Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heckmann
authors.affiliation: A Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Enderlein
authors.affiliation: A Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Piepenbring
authors.affiliation: B Institute of Virology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: A Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heffels-Redmann
authors.affiliation: C Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 96, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malberg
authors.affiliation: C Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 96, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herden
authors.affiliation: A Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lierz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D028981:Bornaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D018701:Mononegavirales Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010311:Parrots / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Bornaviridae; avian bornavirus; infection route; neurologic disease; parrot bornavirus; proventricular dilatation disease; psittaciform 1 bornavirus; virus transmission