Psittacines pseudomonosis

Abstract

The taxonomy of Psittaciformes order classifies families such as Loriinae (lory parrots or false parrots), Cacatuidae (parrots with crest and nymphs) and Psittacidae (true parrots and parrakeets). The ever-increasing desire to obtain specimens with plumage and especially with a spectacular chromatics lead in many cases to the reproduction by repeated inbreds and in very close kinship (even repetitive generations of mother-son or father-daughter matings), causing secondary changes in the metabolism and immune system of the obtained birds, characteristics transmitted to the next generations. The breeding conditions are not always correlated with the needs of these species, in many cases the knowledge about the eco-biology of captive-grown psittacins being rather poor, which leads to an increase in their sensitivity. In recent years, we are confronted in the clinic of these species with extremely diverse pathologies or metabolic changes that have never been described or even observed in wild parrots. Among the psittacines’ bacterioses, the pseudomonosis is an important disease because of its increasing frequency of diagnosis, in both owners and professional breeders. One particular feature is the sensitivity that many psittacine species exhibit both to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The two bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens) exhibit resistance to the action of many antibiotics and have the ability to synthesize numerous substances present in the cell structure, toxins and many other factors that interfere with virulence. The disease appears as a well-defined clinical entity that evolves with dominant digestive disorders or sepsis. The faeces are green or with white urates on the edge, with a heavy or liquid consistency. In the association with Pseudomonas fluorescence, there are even found green-leek color and respiratory symptomatology. The diagnosis of Pseudomonas spp. infection in birds is based on the anatomoclinical data and is confirmed by bacteriological examination. The clinical diagnosis is difficult and is not very valuable. The septicemic forms of the disease are difficult to diagnose because, apart from disrupting the general condition, birds have no characteristic signs.