West Nile virus in canaries and finches
Other names: West Nile
Symptoms
- Lethargy and not eating
- Head tremor, loss of balance and blindness
- Seizures and death (more in young birds)
How it spreads
Mosquito bites (Culex type).
Diagnosis
PCR or a blood test on two samples two weeks apart, or necropsy.
Treatment
No specific treatment; supportive treatment only. [Update 3] Merck: canaries are among the species that get infected. There is no specific treatment; some birds improve with supportive care (fluids, nutrition, antibiotics if there is secondary infection). A recombinant vaccine has been used successfully in some birds: a dose 2-4 weeks before the mosquito season and a booster after 3 weeks (its availability in Egypt is uncertain). During the mosquito season keep the birds indoors or in flight cages closed with mesh. (All under veterinary supervision.)
Prevention
Mosquito netting and draining standing water. The virus is known in Egypt (low confidence about its prevalence in finches).
Season
Summer and autumn (mosquito season)
Treatment and doses are decided by an avian vet after an exam; Zajel does not publish doses.
Other diseases
- Canary pox
- Polyomavirus in finches
- Canary circovirus (black spot)
- Paramyxovirus (PMV-3) in Gouldians
- Newcastle disease (similar to avian plague)
- Avian influenza
- Herpesvirus (eye inflammation in Gouldians)
Sources
- merckvetmanual.com
- KB (not web-verified this session): widely repeated aviculture/breeder consensus; treat with stated confidence
- merckvetmanual.com