PBFD - looking for advice

I am hoping someone here will be able to help us with detailed advice concerning out current situation. I apologize in advance for this long post.

We have a 2.5 year old male eclectus named Mojito. He is a happy, loving wonderful little bird and a precious member of our family. About 6 months ago, we decided to add to the family a female Ekkie and went to the same shop where we got Mojito to get the little girl. The shop is a great little place that loves their birds like they are their own, and get their babies from reliable sources they have used for years. So, in early July we brought our little girl home from the shop (we had been visiting her since she was only weeks old and knew us relatively well). After bringing her home, we had a sudden death in the family and because of that did not get her to the vet for testing until a couple weeks after she came home. Also, when she was brought home she was put in her cage that was within 10 feet of Mojito's cage in a large, main room of our home. While I was aware that new birds are commonly quarantined, the shop owner believed it was not necessary because she had never had any issues with sick birds. My stupidity and foolishness in following this advice have now put our beloved Mojito's life in serious danger.

Our little girl, whose name is Margarita, tested positive ~6 weeks ago, in her vet exam for PBFD. The infection was positive in blood, not swab, and at a moderate level. We planned at that time to have her retested in 90 days. When we got the results she was immediately quarantined. Within a month she became ill. We recognized it early, and the vet was able to give her anti fungal and antibiotics that seem to have got here mostly back to normal, but given that she was showing signs of sickness and it had been over 30 days we retested her again for PBFD. The test again came back positive, but this time in both blood and swab and at a slightly higher level of infection. So, at this point we knew we had to test Mojito.
His results came back today, positive only on swab - we are still waiting for the level of infection but are holding out hope that it is very low and that in a retest in 90 days he will have been able to clear the virus through his own immune system. But, we, right now, are honestly crushed. He is such a great joy in our lives and can't imagine living without him..

Over the last 6 weeks, I have read anything and everything I could find about this disease, from other forums to professional and scholarly papers, and know more than I would ever wish to know about this horrible, insipid little virus. What I am hoping is someone might be able to advise me on how to go about dealing with this problem.

So, my questions:

Any advice on cleaning the house to try and lessen the amount in the house while we wait for Mojito's retest in 90 days? We have been using a strong bleach solution to clean ourselves, food dishes, etc after being with Margarita and nothing comes out of her room, our clothing included, without being in a sealed plastic bag. We clean ourselves in the closest bathroom as soon as we leave her room.

We have just received an order of F10SC that we plan on also using but would like advice on how best to use it, at what concentration, and if using it in a fogger/nebulizer would be effective on furniture, clothing, etc?

Lastly, care for both Mojito and Margarita. I know the disease will severely depress their immune systems, making them vulnerable to infection. We recently have started to add probiotics to their food, but I am wondering if there is anything else we could do to help support their immune system?

Any advice anyone can give on these questions as well as anything else that could help us would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.
Doug

Unfortunately, I know of no positive advice to give you...

I am so sorry!

This one is fatal, and the only thing is to take care to avoid infecting any other birds. Otherwise, make them as comfrotable as possible, and try to enjoy your last days with them.

There is no bright side to this one, I am afraid...

Oh, gosh, Doug, you totally have my compassion. I fear this disease on an almost pathological level. A friend lost her Grey from this disease (an adult bird that was for years fine, and became sick after her owner gave her some toys procured at a bird mart, which may or may not have been the source, but definitely suspect).

Since you've already read up on PBFD, it sounds like you're already doing all the right things for your birds. Hopefully, your Mojito will clear the virus from his system. I hear quite a few infected birds do. I also use F10 in my guest house where I quarantine any new additions to my flock. I just use it as a spray for the environment, not to clean with. I use diluted bleach to clean with for everything a bird uses while in QT. I also bag my clothes and shower immediately upon coming in (in the back bathroom, where my existing birds do not go) from my QT area. Since your birds are in the same house/air system, I think I would hang a shower curtain over the doorway to the room she's in to help dander and feathers from blowing out and ensure that you step in a bleach bath with your shoes (or use dedicated shoes for that room only). It's definitely difficult to maintain that level of biosecurity for a long period of time. I'm so very sorry your birds are both sick. Hopefully, it's going to turn out all right and both birds will eventually clear the virus from their systems.

Thank you for posting about your journey through this. We can all learn a lot from your experience. I do hope the shop where you purchased your bird is working with you on this, helping with the costs, notifying the other people that have shopped there and purchased birds as well as supplies and toys, which could have been infected and innocently taken home to potentially infect birds. What a nightmare for the shop owner, too.

You have my prayers and good thoughts. Hoping for the best.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind thoughts.

May I ask at what dilution you use the F10, and if it is safe to spray around the birds? Also, is it a spray, like from a normal spray bottle, or a nebuliser?

It says on the label how much to dilute it for your intended purpose. For general cleaning, it's pretty dilute but if you have a known pathogen, then the dilution factor is different. When you get yours (if you haven't already), just follow the instructions. At the time I purchased mine, it was SUPER hard to get (not now) so I was pretty stingy with it and only used it to completely sanitize the guest house where I QT my new birds. We put it in a pump sprayer and sprayed the entire floor and counters.

I wouldn't spray it around the birds, even though it's supposed to be really safe to do that. I just wouldn't, but since you have a whole different application need there, I think I would use it to clean their cage and maybe mop around the cage (put the sick bird's cage on a cleanable surface if it's on carpet). Does your vet use it at the clinic? I often wonder what vet's use to clean up after PBFD patients. I hope they're using that or bleach, which are about the only products that actually kill that virus.

That said, had you thought about contacting the vet in Australia (sorry, I forget his name) that has done/is doing all the research on PBFD? I think he does consults pretty affordably (read that on his website I stumbled upon while reading about PBFD). I think if I was facing that with my bird, I would seek out someone who was the absolute expert on that disease. He or she could probably answer questions with complete authority while our local vets might not see it all that often. Just a thought. . .

Please keep the thread updated. I'm hoping your birds beat it. It is possible. I have read case studies where birds did.

I am so sorry to hear your very sad news...my heart breaks for you. I have no experience in this so won't even attempt to offer any suggestions. I did read there are some good outcomes...hang on to that...as it sounds like you are doing all of the right things. What a terrible time for you ...especially on the heels of a family member passing. I am so so sorry. Lisa

That said, had you thought about contacting the vet in Australia (sorry, I forget his name) that has done/is doing all the research on PBFD? I think he does consults pretty affordably (read that on his website I stumbled upon while reading about PBFD). I think if I was facing that with my bird, I would seek out someone who was the absolute expert on that disease. He or she could probably answer questions with complete authority while our local vets might not see it all that often. Just a thought. . .

Please keep the thread updated. I'm hoping your birds beat it. It is possible. I have read case studies where birds did.[/QUOTE]


Dr Ross Perry is his name; I looked him up. It's a great idea, thank you!

I appreciate the kind words. We are going to do everything we can to keep the little bugger healthy to fight the disease and try to stay positive ourselves to hope for a good outcome.

I am just seeing this, and I am so very sorry for what you and your family are going through.

Earlier this year I lost Bixby, a male eclectus and beloved member of our family, to PDD. Turned out he was born with it. Afterward, I had Maya, our female eclectus, tested and x-rayed. She, fortunately, was negative for the disease. But I remember how deeply afraid I was that she might prove to be positive as well. I could easily have found myself in your position.

Unfortunately, there is no cure as of yet for PBFD. But, as others have said, I have heard of cases where birds have seemed to fight the disease off. It's rare, and I don't think it has ever happened with a bird that has already begun to suffer from the clinical symptoms, but it does happen. Which means that Mojito does have a small chance. I so hope he manages to be one of the few who beats the odds.

Have you spoken to Dr. Ross Perry yet?

I am so very sorry to hear this. In fact I am angry for you as well. Have you let the shop owner know of this? I wonder if this shop does grooming, and if an infected pet was in the shop? Or if their sources aren't as upstanding as they think.

I wholeheartedly agree with everything OOwl has said. Read the directions, and contact the company with any further questions, or if you've been able to speak to Dr. Ross Perry that would be great. I do know that with PBFD it is very hardy in the environment, and I'd not rest until every crack and crevice of the home is sanitized. Best of luck finding out what you need to do to accomplish that.

That being said, I do feel badly for you, as Stephen (Anansi) had mentioned, I also had lost a parrot to PDD, although not as tenacious of a virus as PBFD, still unfortunately one of the contagious diseases that will be around our bird community as long as there are breeders, brokers, and sellers out there unknowingly spreading it. Best wishes to you and your fids and your family with this unfortunate situation.

I have no experience, but just wanted to echo what others have said, it must be a horrible thing to go through, I hope that they manage to fight off this terrible disease.