Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) / bornavirus in parrots
Other names: PDD، Borna، Wasting disease
Symptoms
- Chronic weight loss despite eating
- Undigested seeds in droppings
- Regurgitation
- Tremors, incoordination, seizures, blindness
- Polyuria
How it spreads
Not fully understood; probably fecal-oral; shedding is intermittent so carriers are hard to detect.
Diagnosis
RT-PCR of a throat and cloacal swab + antibody tests (ELISA/IFA/Western blot); radiographs showing proventricular dilatation; a single negative test does not rule out infection; definitive diagnosis by tissue examination.
Treatment
Supportive care: NSAIDs, gastric motility stimulants, gabapentin for neurological signs, omega-3; there is no effective antiviral and no vaccine.
Prevention
Hygiene, stress reduction, good nutrition, isolating positive and new birds; artificially incubate eggs from infected parents and hand-rear. No specific treatment or effective immunization is available for bornavirus infection to date (Leus et al. 2026).
Treatment and doses are decided by an avian vet after an exam; Zajel does not publish doses.
Other diseases
- Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)
- Polyomavirus
- Pacheco's disease (psittacid herpesvirus)
- Internal papillomatosis
- Avian pox
- Newcastle disease (bird paralysis)
- Avian influenza
- West Nile virus