A serologic survey for avian polyomavirus and Pacheco's disease virus in Australian cockatoos

Abstract

Sera collected from wild and captive Australian cockatoos and other psittacine species (n = 411) were tested for antibodies to avian polyomavirus (APV) and Pacheco's disease virus (PDV). Of 144 wild sulphur‐crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) sampled at three regions in New South Wales (NSW) 96 (64.4%) birds had positive (≥ 1:32) neutralizing antibody titres to avian polyomavirus (range 1:32–1:2048). Two of 17 wild long‐billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) were also APV‐antibody positive. However, no samples from 107 wild galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) were positive for neutralizing antibody to APV. Sera were also collected from captive psittacine bird flocks from NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. In a mixed aviary of cockatoos and lorikeets, APV antibody was detected in sera from sulphur‐crested cockatoos, Major Mitchell's cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri), a white‐tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii latirostris), a red‐tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus magnificus) a single galah, a rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus), and a scaley‐breasted lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus). All 411 wild and captive birds were negative for the presence of neutralizing antibody to PDV. These results indicate that wild sulphur‐crested cockatoos in NSW are enzootically infected with avian polyomavirus and that the sampled populations are free of Pacheco's disease.