Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) outbreak in blue-and-gold macaws (Ara ararauna) in the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Araujo,Jeann Leal de
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Cristo,Thierry Grima de, Morais,Raissa Moreira de, Costa,Leonardo Silva da, Biezus,Giovana, Müller,Thiago Rinaldi, Rech,Raquel Rubia, Casagrande,Renata Assis
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-736X2017001101331
• topic: Proventricular dilatation disease; PDD; blue-and-gold macaw; Ara ararauna; ganglioneuritis; meningoencephalomyelitis; psittacine birds; viral diseases

ABSTRACT: Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) is a lethal and important disease of captive psittacine birds, and affects a wide range of species, including endangered ones, and lacks an effective treatment. This report describes PDD in three blue-and-gold macaws (Ara ararauna) in southern Brazil. All three macaws originated from the same aviary and presented similar clinical signs including anorexia, apathy, emaciation and prostration. At necropsy, one of the macaws presented an enlarged proventriculus. Histologically, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates was observed in the ganglia and nerves of the esophagus, crop, proventriculus, ventriculus, heart, adrenal glands, and adrenal medulla of all three cases. Two macaws had meningoencephalomyelitis and one had myocarditis. Immunohistochemistry identified PaBV antigen in the brain, proventricular, ventricular ganglia, and epicardial ganglia, and cardiomyocytes of all three macaws.