The typical was a rapid spreading among the birds and a great mortality. In most of the birds the feathers in abdominal area were slightly removed. The youngest birds were not affected. The avian pox virus infection was excluded.
Did you consider Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection as a possible cause of eyelid lesions in canaries 1 and 3 and a fungal infection as a possible cause of beak lesions?
Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection was also excluded, but fungal infection was probably present (according to HP findings). The owner heard that some new type of canary pox virus caused a great mortality etc etc. My colleague could not get the primers for canary pox virus on time so only we could do was an inoculation into chicken embryo to prove the pox virus infection (the testing was finished three days ago, there were no plaques on CAM membrane, but HP examination confirmed some interesting findings for which some authors said that they are specific for the infection with canary pox virus /?!?/ /e.g. mesenchymal and epidermal hyperplasia, inclusion like shapes in epithelial cells and numerous great vacuolar spaces in these cells). Unfortunately, during this time the most (adult) birds died. The youngest birds survived without any clinical sign of illness. I warned the owner on possible septic form of pox as well as on secondary bacterial and fungal infections which usually cause a great mortality, but he did not want to do anything more.
Thank you for the information of this case. The histopathologic findings you mentioned are possibly related to poxvirus infection. Please consider that CAM plaques are not seen in all cases after inoculation in embryonated eggs (e.g. low dose of inoculum, low number of egg passages). Regarding the age range of mortality, I wonder why only the adults were affected. Can be possible that the young canaries were vaccinated against pox virus?
Thank you very much for the comment! It is a real miracle when we talk about the youngest birds, because the owner was so desperate after all this that he gave up from everything - including also the protection of the youngest.
Clinical signs are very suggestive for Poxvirus infection, complicated with bacteria (Mycoplasma in 3rd fig.) Any epidemiolgical events before outbreak? Introduction of a new apparently healthy bird from other collectivity naturally immunized may provoke such surprize
Thank you very much for your suggestions. Before the first clinical signs the owner visited one of the european exhibition (I do not know in which town) and he confimred that the illness started to spread after this. The Mycoplasma was negative, but regarding the fungi and bacteria I can only confirm the positive HP results. Namely, the owner did not want microbiological testing except the virological - on pox virus infection (I think that some of bacteriological testings were done a day or two before he came in our Centre and that the results were negative /?!?/).
Well, first of all i have to say that I'm more than happy to find this question and learned alot....
but in my experience it is a form of canary pox, as i have seen like it before and after vaccination the problem solved.
Unfortunately in my country 99% of the owners do not accept para-clinical expenses so all we have are by examination.
and also most labs do not perform any testing unless for poultry and ornamental and pet birds do not get much of help.
I would be more than happy if you could inform me of your Avian experiences...especially about canaries...
thanks
Another frustrating problem is that owners don t belive they may be passive vectors
In Marina T report I m convinced that the owner was the carrier of the virus since he visited an international/ european exhibition before and he confimred that the illness started to spread after this.
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