Backyard Birds Research Articles

Diversity of Marek’s Disease Virus Strains in Infections in Backyard and Ornamental Birds

Marek’s disease is caused by Mardivirus gallidalpha2, commonly known as Marek’s disease virus (MDV). This pathogen infects various bird species resulting in a range of clinical manifestations. The meq gene, which is crucial for oncogenesis, has been extensively studied, but molecular investigations of MDV in noncommercial South American birds are limited. This study detected MDV in backyard and ornamental birds from Brazil and Peru and characterized the meq gene. MDV was confirmed in all seven outbreaks examined. Three isoforms of meq (S-meq, meq, and L-meq) and two to seven proline repeat regions (PRRs) were detected among the sequenced strains. At the amino acid level, genetic profiles with low and high virulence potential were identified. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the sequences into three distinct clusters. Selection pressure analysis revealed 18 and 15 codons under positive and negative selection, respectively. The results demonstrate significant MDV diversity in the studied birds, with both high and low virulence potentials. This study highlights the importance of monitoring and characterizing circulating MDV in backyard and ornamental birds, as they can act as reservoirs for future epidemiological outbreaks.

Molecular and pathological screening of the current circulation of fowlpox and pigeon pox virus in backyard birds

Avian pox is a disease that has devastating impacts on both poultry and wild bird species. Avian pox is caused by various strains of avipoxviruses (APV). Nevertheless, the virus has been detected in pigeons and chickens that are raised in backyard areas, leading to substantial financial damage for small-scale producers. There is a lack of comprehensive information regarding the transmission of APV among birds in the backyards and residential areas. Hence, the present investigation closely monitored and observed APV in domesticated birds residing in backyard areas, with the aim of impeding the transmission of the virus to nearby poultry farms. In 2023, a total of fifty backyard flocks were surveyed for the presence of avian pox disease. Sixteen backyards (14 pigeons and 2 chickens) exhibited warty nodular lesions on their heads and nonfeathered body parts. APV was confirmed in nodular lesions by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and genetic sequencing. All samples from the lesions showed successful amplification of the p4b locus (core protein p4b). Four confirmed samples were tested for pathogenicity on the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Histopathological examination revealed ballooning degeneration and numerous intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (Bollinger bodies) in the ectoderm of the infected CAM. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the strains clustered into main clade A, with 11 in subclade A2 and 5 in subclade A1. Amino acid identity showed 100% similarity between the vaccine (fowlpox/VSVRI/Egypt) and some detected strains (PP537574 and PP537575). In addition, the PP537576.1 to PP537580.1 and PP537582.1 to PP537585.1 had 2-point mutations compared to the fowlpox/VSVRI/Egypt vaccine. The overall finding of low biosecurity levels in the investigated backyard birds emphasizes the significance of establishing sanitary measures and control vectors to reduce virus transmission routes and disease severity. In conclusion, it is necessary to emphasize the tracking of APV in backyard birds. Concurrently, we advised enhancing hygiene protocols, vector management, and subsequent vaccination to restrict the occurrence of APV outbreaks and prevent their transmission to neighboring poultry farms. Furthermore, it is crucial to incorporate molecular studies in order to enhance the vaccine seeds for disease management.

Impacts of big birding events in tropical Asia – a case study from Kerala

Big birding events provide a valuable opportunity to develop datasets to supplement systematic bird monitoring. However, the contributions of these big datasets remain unclear. In this study, we examine two big birding events in Kerala, India (Great Backyard Bird Count and Onam Bird Count). Data submitted during these events between 2014 and 2022 were analysed to assess data quantity, species representation, spatial coverage and birder recruitment. The events contributed a disproportionately large amount of data (12% of all Kerala bird data) and effectively recruited volunteers (> 50% recruited in 2 months) into the citizen science programme. Although the data exhibited a spatial bias (missing 18% of Kerala), the reporting frequencies of common birds from these events were in agreement with the semi‐structured birding efforts conducted throughout the rest of the year. The simplicity of their protocols and reasonably high data quality make big birding events a useful component of citizen science. Promoting such events is useful for engaging citizens in bird monitoring and conservation, especially in densely populated and biodiverse countries such as India.

Determining How Gavaging Laying Hens with Lead (Pb) Affects Lead Concentration in Table Eggs, Bone, blood, and Liver

Previous research has demonstrated that lead (Pb2+, for the remainder of the paper referred to as Pb) and other heavy metals are present in table eggs from backyard birds. While the source of Pb exposure is unknown, exposure to the environment via the foraging behavior of backyard poultry is likely a significant factor. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted to better understand how oral Pb consumption correlates with Pb concentration in table eggs and other physiological compartments (i.e. bone, blood, and liver). In order of absolute mean concentration, Pb was most present in bone (226.24 ppb experimental vs. 31.00 ppb control), blood (14.47 ppb experimental vs 0.27 ppb control), liver (11.24 ppb experimental vs 0.75 ppb control), and egg (1.17 ppb experimental vs 0.06 ppb control). The low concentration of Pb in table eggs implies that Pb preferentially accumulates in other tissues aside from the egg. While this study showed that eggs have the lowest overall tropism for Pb, the presence of Pb in other tissues demonstrates a public health risk when chickens are orally exposed to Pb via oral consumption.

Experiences in Peru for surveillance in the fight against highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Proceeding of The First International Avian Influenza Summit, University of Arkansas- October 16-17, 2023"

The emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza poses a significant threat to human and animal health worldwide. This summary provides an overview of the surveillance efforts implemented in Peru to combat the spread of H5N1 avian influenza. Joint efforts between the authority, the productive sector, and academia date back to the first influenza outbreak in Chile in 2002. Since then, the government has been developing intense clinical and serological surveillance in the domestic birds and poultry industry. In parallel, the university has been carrying out important research to identify and typify the viruses that circulate in the resident and migratory wild bird populations of the Peruvian coast, having detected and identified during these years around 50 strains of influenza viruses of 10 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 8 neuraminidases, a single strain of the low pathogenicity H7N3 subtype. Until then, an H5-type virus had never been detected in wild birds. With the arrival of the virus in North America, a comprehensive response was developed in which the key components of the surveillance program included active and passive clinical surveillance in wild bird populations, commercial poultry, and backyard and game bird populations. Regarding surveillance of wild birds, the authority has received 238 notifications, of which 64 were confirmed positive, from 15 regions. In the Avian Pathology Laboratory of the UNMSM, actions were carried out to support the active surveillance of wild birds of the Peruvian coast in the impact zones for poultry farming, analyzing 405 samples of fresh feces from 41 species of asymptomatic coastal aquatic wild birds, being positive 12 (2.96\%). Additionally, 45 samples of wild birds with suspicious symptoms were analyzed and sent by different government institutions (SENASA, SERFOR, SERNAMP), with 19 (42\%) being confirmed positive. Regarding domestic bird populations, 1,676 notifications have been made to SENASA, of which 194 were positive for the H5N1 virus in 13 country regions. On the other hand, the Avian Pathology Lab received 16 confirmed positive cases by PCR and viral isolation in SPF embryonated eggs from ducks, quails, layers, native birds, and one case of turkeys. The complete genome analysis of 09 strains of wild birds, 04 of domestic birds, and one of sea lions has been carried out. Analysis of new samples is in process. NGS analysis has identified the IA H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus; however, it has been found that the Peruvian strains are lining up in a group together with the Chilean strains. All these activities are possible to carry out thanks to the financial support of national and international institutions: NAMRU, Concytec-World Bank, Peruvian Poultry Association, and ALA-US Poultry. The high vulnerability of poultry populations in the country is due to its location along the coast, where tens of thousands of dead wild birds have fallen, in addition to being surrounded by a very high population of ducks, fighting, and backyard birds. The government determined emergency vaccination, as well as the continuation of clinical and virological surveillance in vaccinated and unvaccinated poultry populations. SENASA has been evaluating the protection of approved vaccines, both by the serological response with hemagglutination inhibition tests using local antigens and by challenge. The industry has responded by significantly increasing the levels of structural and operational biosafety, as well as directly supporting control actions at the regional level. Since March, no outbreaks have been reported in industrially farmed birds.

Birds as buddies: the politics of sentimentality in the Birds in backyards (Australia) Facebook site

ABSTRACT This paper takes up Howard’s (1999) suggestion that sentimentality can be a lens on self-world relations. It focuses on human-bird relations in a Facebook site dedicated to Australian wild birds: Birds in Backyards (Australia). We argue that the traditional ideal of intellectual and affective distance through which critiques of sentimentality are still so often couched is not very useful in understanding and valuing the dynamic, interactive and immersive forms of social media. A study of Birds in Backyards suggests that there quite different ways that the love of wild birds can manifest and that sentimentality is not inimical to the generation of a community of care for, and celebration of, birds. Moreover, an older assumption that sentimentality might be the opposite of, or an impediment to, practical action seems hard to justify in the discursively and emotionally complex milieux of the digital age. Today, there is no place for an opposition between feeling and doing, and scientific action often requires and mobilizes emotion.

Slow birding: The art and science of enjoying the birds in your own backyard

Slow birding: The art and science of enjoying the birds in your own backyard

Homeless Camps along I-240 East, and: In Decimals

Homeless Camps along I-240 East, and: In Decimals Holly Cian (bio) Homeless Camps along I-240 East A line of tents spike the hillside, tuckedbetween fence and row of cypress, tarp attached to protect from the weather. Shopping carts scattered. Pieces of bicycle.The curves and points of the edges feel like phases of the moon—a steady stream of cans and chip wrappers, little bagsof gathered food spill into the highway; two lines of cars round the corner and the soft tips of mountainsrise like hearts full of promise and hearts unexplained, the deep curve of a broad river,the purple sky bursting with rain. [End Page 93] In Decimals A fraction is a part of something, as though you can hold itin your hand like popcorn or jilted petals, bits of thistle seedfor the backyard birds. A decimal is marked on a line, a space, an equivalentpassage of parts of time; when we've gone from beingone to being one and one-tenth. Like a cluster of leaves testing its segments.The culmination of tissue and air, eyes and cheekbones,the iris that enhances the pupil and all its dark longing.The crooked murmur of fingers completing themselves on my palm. I'm starting to wonder about the part of you missing,the part that slips into the rocks of rivers like an argental fish,resplendent and fleeting in black water. The days in sectors and lines in the wide sky.A thicket of branch, in your sightline, spacing the pearlsky, the mix of light and shadow. [End Page 94] Holly Cian holly cian holds a B.A. in creative writing from the College of Charleston and an M.A. in literature from Western Carolina University. Her poems have been published in Pinesong, the Great Smokies Review, Sixfold, and in the anthology Witness: Appalachia to Hatteras. She lives in Asheville, N.C. Copyright © 2023 University of North Dakota

Molecular characterization of the Newcastle disease virus that caused an outbreak in backyard birds in Costa Rica in 2015

Costa Rica gained its Newcastle Disease Virus NDV-free status with vaccination according to OIE proceedings in 1996, and its declaration as a country free of the velogenic, viscerotropic form of this disease (G/SPS/GEN/119) presented to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999. On April 24th, 2015, SENASA (National Animal Health Service) attended a velogenic Newcastle disease outbreak that affected backyard chickens in a small town (Bellavista, Guanacaste) in the northern part of the country, near the Nicaraguan border. Sixty-five backyard birds died from a total of 84 exposed animals. Blood samples, cloacal swabs, tracheal swabs, cecal tonsils, lung and trachea tissues were collected for diagnosis at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (LANASEVE). These samples were screened for Avian Influenza (AIV) and NDV. All samples were negative for Avian Influenza in ELISA test and RT-PCR. Serum samples were positive for NDV antibody by hemagglutination inhibition test, and tissue and swab samples were positive for NDV by conventional RT-qPCR targeting a 310 bp fragment of the virus fusion protein gene. The amino acid sequence of the protease cleavage site within the amplicon matched the sequence of a virulent strain (112RRQKRF117). The nucleotide sequence had a 98.7% identity and an e value of 4e-153 with a genotype V velogenic sequence from Belize (KF767467) and Honduras (JN872194) collected in 2008 and 2007, respectively, according to BLASTN. A total of 3604 backyard birds were euthanized in town and its surroundings (1 km), including 3495 chickens, 66 turkeys, 6 geese, and 37 ducks. The case was considered resolved, and OIE was notified in November 2015 following OIE guidelines. In April 2017, Costa Rica recovered its disease-free status through executive decree No. 40301-MAG.

Mexico's experience when vaccinating against Avian Influenza: Advantages, disadvantages, and needs. Proceeding of The First International Avian Influenza Summit, University of Arkansas- October 16-17, 2023”

The experience. The silent entry of the Avian Influenza (AI) virus into Mexican territory, for the experience. In March 1994, a Low Pathogenicity (LP) subtype H5N2 virus entered Mexico stealthily and spread fast in poultry districts. The virus was common in flocks when discovered. It became an HP virus in December, jeopardizing food security. A biological was developed using biosafety. December 1995 saw HPAI-free nation. From January to December 1995, 383 million vaccinations were given. The biological was an intravenous emulsion-inactivated vaccine. Due to excessive mortality in two Altos de Jalisco districts, the National Emergency Device in Animal Health (DINESA) was established in June 2012, and the HPAI H7N3 subtype was determined as the cause. About 20 towns in Los Altos de Jalisco generate 80% of the region's eggs, with 70,000,000 birds and 40% of per capita consumption. This endangered national food security. A 2006 migratory duck virus was used to develop a vaccination, then a reverse genetics vaccine. Both vaccinations were inactivated and emulsified for parenteral administration. A recombinant vaccine was made from the Newcastle virus vector and HA protein insert. Final data: 22.4 million birds infected, 140 million vaccinated. Wild, backyard, and production birds had HPAI virus subtype H5N1 in October 2022. The outbreaks occurred in strategic poultry regions: the Yucatan Peninsula, where parent and reproductive farms are; Jalisco, which produces 54.84% of the nation's eggs and 15.60% of chickens; Sonora, which produces 7.88% of eggs, and Nuevo León which produces 2.8% of eggs and 1.82% of Control was achieved with two emulsified parenteral subunit and reverse genetics vaccinations. Following the outbreak, 201,652,000 doses were delivered. In April, authorities halted immunization against this subtype because there were no isolates, hoping to weaken antibodies and declare the country free. Advantages and disadvantages of vaccinating. Emulsified vaccines are the most common in Mexico to combat the infection. These vaccines provide robust systemic protection, protect against mortality and productivity drops, do not promote local IgA production or memory cell development, require continual revaccination, and do not prevent infection. Since local immunity is poor and delayed, emulsified vaccinations should be used with recombinant vaccines. Vaccinating in Mexico protects food safety and indirectly reduces zoonoses because vaccinated birds remove less virus. Main drawback: Vaccination can make the virus endemic. Needs. Mexico produces a lot of chicken and eggs; therefore, HPAI has been a major issue for the sector. If we keep vaccinating, our most urgent needs will be (1) new vaccines from seed viruses, which must be refreshed cyclically to match the challenge virus, (2) a biological that stimulates local neutralizing immunity (IgA), (3) bivalent or trivalent biologicals that facilitate flock management to protect productive parameters, and (4) diffusion of the information about viral behavior and vaccine use. Insufficient information is a dangerous weapon.

Antipredator behaviors in urban settings: Ecological experimentation powered by citizen science.

Animal behaviors are often modified in urban settings due to changes in species assemblages and interactions. The ability of prey to respond to a predator is a critical behavior, but urban populations may experience altered predation pressure, food supplementation, and other human‐mediated disturbances that modify their responsiveness to predation risk and promote habituation.Citizen‐science programs generally focus on the collection and analysis of observational data (e.g., bird checklists), but there has been increasing interest in the engagement of citizen scientists for ecological experimentation.Our goal was to implement a behavioral experiment in which citizen scientists recorded antipredator behaviors in wild birds occupying urban areas. In North America, increasing populations of Accipiter hawks have colonized suburban and urban areas and regularly prey upon birds that frequent backyard bird feeders. This scenario, of an increasingly common avian predator hunting birds near human dwellings, offers a unique opportunity to characterize antipredator behaviors within urban passerines.For two winters, we engaged citizen scientists in Chicago, IL, USA to deploy a playback experiment and record antipredator behaviors in backyard birds. If backyard birds maintained their antipredator behaviors, we hypothesized that birds would decrease foraging behaviors and increase vigilance in response to a predator cue (hawk playback) but that these responses would be mediated by flock size, presence of sentinel species, body size, tree cover, and amount of surrounding urban area.Using a randomized control–treatment design, citizen scientists at 15 sites recorded behaviors from 3891 individual birds representing 22 species. Birds were more vigilant and foraged less during the playback of a hawk call, and these responses were strongest for individuals within larger flocks and weakest in larger‐bodied birds. We did not find effects of sentinel species, tree cover, or urbanization.By deploying a behavioral experiment, we found that backyard birds inhabiting urban landscapes largely maintained antipredator behaviors of increased vigilance and decreased foraging in response to predator cues. Experimentation in citizen science poses challenges (e.g., observation bias, sample size limitations, and reduced complexity in protocol design), but unlike programs focused solely on observational data, experimentation allows researchers to disentangle the complex factors underlying animal behavior and species interactions.

Drivers of avian habitat use and detection of backyard birds in the Pacific Northwest during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns

Birds living in developed areas contend with numerous stressors, including human disturbance and light, noise, and air pollution. COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns presented a unique opportunity to disentangle these effects during a period of reduced human activity. We launched a community science project in spring 2020 to explore drivers of site use by and detection of common birds in cities under lockdown in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Our goals were twofold: (1) consider how intensity of urbanization, canopy cover, and availability of bird feeders and bird baths influenced avian habitat use; and (2) quantify how daily changes in weather, air pollution, and human mobility influenced detection of birds. We analyzed 6,640 surveys from 367 volunteers at 429 monitoring sites using occupancy models for 46 study species. Neither land cover nor canopy cover influenced site use by 50% of study species, suggesting that backyard birds may have used a wider range of habitats during lockdowns. Human mobility affected detection of 76% of study species, suggesting that birds exhibited species-specific behavioral responses to day-to-day changes in human activity beginning shortly after initial lockdown restrictions were implemented. Our study also showcases how existing community science platforms can be leveraged to support local monitoring efforts.

Big changes in backyard birds: An analysis of long-term changes in bird communities in Australia's most populous urban regions

Urban environments are increasingly acknowledged as a priority for biodiversity conservation. Birds in particular are capable of persisting, and sometimes thriving, in cities and towns globally. However, the process of urbanization results in the loss of many bird species due to the resulting changes in habitat conditions. Urban expansion and densification present a threat to both urban bird biodiversity and bird conservation more broadly. Australian urban areas, including suburban and peri-urban areas, currently support moderate bird species richness, but the rapidly changing urban landscape threatens these communities. Unfortunately, many bird species' population trends are not actively studied, resulting in a poor understanding of species persistence in urban environments. Here, we used bird survey data from long-running citizen science databases in a Bayesian List Length Analysis to determine changes in bird species prevalence (the probability of observing a species in a given survey event) over time in Australia's four most populous urban regions. We found that introduced species, historically prominent in Australian urban bird communities, are decreasing in prevalence in all four regions, while a small group of native urban exploiters are becoming more prevalent. Our results also show that many species perceived to be “iconic” or “common” are experiencing declines in prevalence in urban areas, highlighting the importance of monitoring and conservation action in urban areas.

Establishment of biochemical reference values for backyard chickens in Colorado (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Previous literature pertaining to biochemical RIs of domestic chickens has primarily focused on commercial production flocks and not backyard birds. We aimed to establish biochemistry RIs for privately-owned backyard chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) using reference laboratory equipment. Samples were collected from 123 presumably healthy adult chickens between 2017 and 2019 from 22 different flocks in Colorado. Heparinized blood was obtained, and a biochemistry profile was evaluated, including sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorous, uric acid, AST, CK, glucose, cholesterol, and total protein. Reference values were created according to current American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology recommendations. Differences in measurand intervals compared with previous literature were found for sodium, calcium, total protein, potassium, phosphorus, uric acid, and glucose. Hens were found to have higher median calcium (17.9mg/dL vs 11.2mg/dL [P= .0001]), total protein (5.2g/dL vs 4.8g/dL [P= .0046]), and potassium (3.80 mEq/L vs 3.48 mEq/L [P= .0267]) concentrations, as well as lower sodium (155 mEq/L vs 158 mEq/L [P= .0046]) concentrations, calculated osmolalities (310 mOsm/kg vs 314 mOsm/kg [P= .0249]), and AST (165 U/L vs 194 U/L [P= .0121]) activities, than roosters. Seasonal variation was found between summer and winter samples for median sodium (144 mEq/L vs 148 mEq/L [P= .0008]), chloride (111.8mEq/L vs 113.5mEq/L [P= .0033]) concentrations, calculated osmolalities (306 mOsm/kg vs 311 mOsm/kg [P= <.0001]), and AST (185 U/L vs 159 U/L [P= .0053]) and CK (1098 U/L vs 770 U/L [P= .0007]) activities. This study presents biochemical reference values for backyard chickens in Colorado that can be a basis for evaluations in similar settings.

Antimicrobial Resistance, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence Genes in Enterococcus Species from Small Backyard Chicken Flocks.

Backyard birds are small flocks that are more common in developing countries. They are used for poultry meat and egg production. However, they are also implicated in the maintenance and transmission of several zoonotic diseases, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. Enterococci are one of the most common zoonotic bacteria. They colonize numerous body sites and cause a wide range of serious nosocomial infections in humans. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the diversity in Enterococcus spp. in healthy birds and to determine the occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR), multi-locus sequence types, and virulence genes and biofilm formation. From March 2019 to December 2020, cloacal swabs were collected from 15 healthy backyard broiler flocks. A total of 90 enterococci strains were recovered and classified according to the 16S rRNA sequence into Enterococcus faecalis (50%); Enterococcus faecium (33.33%), Enterococcus hirae (13.33%), and Enterococcus avium (3.33%). The isolates exhibited high resistance to tetracycline (55.6%), erythromycin (31.1%), and ampicillin (30%). However, all of the isolates were susceptible to linezolid. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was identified in 30 (33.3%) isolates. The enterococci AMR-associated genes ermB, ermA, tetM, tetL, vanA, cat, and pbp5 were identified in 24 (26.6%), 11 (12.2%), 39 (43.3%), 34 (37.7%), 1 (1.1%), 4 (4.4%), and 23 (25.5%) isolates, respectively. Of the 90 enterococci, 21 (23.3%), 27 (30%), and 36 (40%) isolates showed the presence of cylA, gelE, and agg virulence-associated genes, respectively. Seventy-three (81.1%) isolates exhibited biofilm formation. A statistically significant correlation was obtained for biofilm formation versus the MAR index and MDR. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) identified eleven and eight different STs for E. faecalis and E. faecium, respectively. Seven different rep-family plasmid genes (rep1–2, rep3, rep5–6, rep9, and rep11) were detected in the MDR enterococci. Two-thirds (20/30; 66.6%) of the enterococci were positive for one or two rep-families. In conclusion, the results show that healthy backyard chickens could act as a reservoir for MDR and virulent Enterococcus spp. Thus, an effective antimicrobial stewardship program and further studies using a One Health approach are required to investigate the role of backyard chickens as vectors for AMR transmission to humans.

Prevalence of Newcastle Disease Virus in Commercial and Backyard Poultry in Haryana, India.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes Newcastle disease (ND) in poultry. The ND is a highly contagious disease, which is endemic in several countries despite regular vaccination with live or killed vaccines. Studies on NDV in India are mostly targeted toward its detection and characterization from disease outbreaks. A surveillance study was undertaken to determine NDV prevalence throughout the state of Haryana from March 2018 to March 2020 using a stratified sampling scheme. The state was divided into three different zones and a total of 4,001 choanal swab samples were collected from backyard poultry, commercial broilers, and layers. These samples were tested for the M gene of NDV using real-time RT-PCR. Of the 4,001 samples tested, 392 were positive (9.8% apparent prevalence; 95% CI: 8.9–10.8%) for the M gene. Of these 392 M gene positive samples, 35 (8.9%; 95% CI: 6.4–12.3%) were found to be positive based on F gene real-time RT-PCR. Circulation of NDV in commercial and backyard poultry highlights the importance of surveillance studies even in apparently healthy flocks. The information generated in this study should contribute to better understanding of NDV epidemiology in India and may help formulate appropriate disease control strategies for commercial and backyard birds.

Experimental West Nile Virus Infection in Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus).

West Nile virus (WNV) has been implicated in regional declines of numerous North American bird species, although its potential impact upon many species, including some game birds, remains unknown. Specifically, information about susceptibility to infection and infection outcome are crucial to assessing health risks. Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) are a popular and common game bird across much of the United States, as well as in captive breeding programs and as backyard birds. Two age groups of bobwhites were subcutaneously inoculated with WNV and euthanatized on 15 days postinoculation (DPI). Three of 10 inoculated 5-wk-old and 4/10 inoculated 15-wk-old birds developed detectable viremia titers during 1-5 DPI, with low peak titers (101.7-103.0 plaque-forming units [PFU]/ml). Three of 10 inoculated 5-wk-old and 1/10 inoculated 15-wk-old birds shed low viral titers (peak 100.7-101.8 PFU/swab) either orally or cloacally or both for limited periods from 2 to 6 DPI. All inoculated birds (n = 20) remained apparently healthy and seroconverted by 15 DPI. No infectious virus was detected in select tissues: heart, kidney, brain, skeletal muscle, spleen (15-wk-old group only), and feathers from any of the bobwhites. No sham-inoculated, contact control birds (n = 8) became viremic or had virus isolated from tissues or swabs. The most consistent microscopic lesion was minimal to mild, lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis (6/10 in 5-wk-olds; 5/10 in 15-wk-olds). Immunohistochemical labeling was most often in macrophages in spleen and bone marrow, likely reflective of clearance of infection. There were no statistically significant differences in the peak viremia and shedding titers between age groups and no differences in the development of WNV-associated lesions between the two age groups. These results suggest that WNV is unlikely to pose a health risk to bobwhites and that bobwhites likely are an incompetent reservoir host species in WNV transmission.

Birds in the Backyard

Birds in the Backyard

A Highlight on Avian Toxoplasmosis: One Health Disease with a Special Reference to the Current Egyptian Situation

This review article was developed to the infection of avian species with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), diagnosis, pet bird and human infection, and control methods with a special reference to the current status of infection among the Egyptian poultry farms and population. Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a unicellular, protozoan parasite T. gondii. Different domesticated and wild animals, as well as birds can harbor T. gondii and may be a potential source of infection to humans. Avian species could be infected with T. gondii through the ingestion of contaminated food, soil, and water with oocysts shed in the excreta of infected animals, especially cats. Poor sanitation and hygienic conditions increase the risk of infection. Consumption of food or water, as well as undercooked poultry meat or meat products containing the oocysts of the parasite, are the main sources of human infection with T. gondi. Diagnosis of T. gondii in the infected host depends on the serological detection of specific antibodies and molecular detection of the parasite. Microscopic demonstration of the oocysts and other developmental stages of the parasite in the intestine, liver, brain, and skeletal muscles tissues is another means for rapid diagnosis. Generally, a high prevalence of the disease is also reported in pet birds. Toxoplasmosis in humans is associated with abortion, congenital disorders, stillbirth, and other complications, especially in immunocompromised patients. Application of hygienic measures, as well as public awareness, are essential for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis. In different Egyptian governorates, a high prevalence of T. gondii has been detected in animals, birds, and humans. High incidence of infection was recorded due to the contact with Toxoplasma oocysts shed mainly from infected cats or other carriers. Egyptian chicken and turkey flocks and backyard birds revealed the presence of different developmental stages of the parasite and even its antibodies. In addition, human populations showed signs of toxoplasmosis with severe complications.

Birds in the Backyard

Birds in the Backyard