Variation in clinical disease and species susceptibility to psittacine beak and feather disease in Zimbabwean lovebirds.

Abstract

While psittacine beak and feather disease has caused 100% mortality in captive flocks of 2 species of native Zimbabwean lovebirds (Agapornis nigrigensis and A. lilianae), other lovebird species in close contact with the sick birds have been only transiently affected or not at all. The clinical course of the disease in affected lovebirds may differ from that reported elsewhere, with recovery in some cases. These differences, along with ultrastructural differences may suggest a different virus or different strain of virus underlying disease in Zimbabwe.