An outbreak of Pacheco's parrot disease in a psittacine bird collection and an attempt to control it by vaccination

Abstract

An outbreak of Pacheco's parrot disease (PPD) is described in a psittacine bird collection of a municipal ornithological garden. A herpes virus was isolated and judged to be the causative agent from the mortality recorded. A formaldehyde/heat-inactivated experimental vaccine was prepared from polyethyleneglycol purified virus. The vaccine was locally and systemically well tolerated by all birds. Seroconversion was demonstrated by neutralization tests in most of the vaccinated birds of the genera Ara, Anodorhynchus and Probosciger.