PPD carrier??

[Devann]

This is definately a question I will ask my vet once I get my baby home and settled but I thought maybe you birdie experts may have some insight...

I am adopting a 6 year old Alexandrine who is healthy but according to her current owner they had another parrot (not sure exactly which type) that died quite suddenly about 3 years ago. She suspected PPD but it was NOT confirmed by the autopsy. So she warned me that Vino could potentially be a carrier of the disease so to be wary if I was ever considering getting another bird...

The research I've done on PPD tells me that the only definitive test for it is autopsy, so if it was not found on the autopsy is it still possible that that is what caused his death??? My other question is about the carrier bit, if Vino is in fact a PPD carrier is that for life or a specific amount of time???

Thoughts???

 

[greycloud]

Once a PDD carrier, always a carrier. It may not shed at all times but the virus is there. If there is a question that the other bird that passed had it I would be very cautious about bringing any other birds around this one. Also, if this bird was exposed it could at anytime start to show symptoms. PDD is fatal.

 

[Devann]

Thanks greycloud, The thing is they found no evidence of PPD during the other birds autopsy so is there still any chance he did have it? or is the autopsy absolutely definitive in ruling it out?

 

[paulhanlon]

If the autopsy showed no sign of the virus i don't think the bird had PPD although it could be possible even tho the autopsy never showed any sign of it doesn't mean the virus wasn't there I would be very careful as PPD can be extremely fatal to a birds health.

 

[DebsFlock]

Are we talking about PPD (Pacheco's disease) or PDD (Proventicular Dilatation Disease)? Very different things.

 

[paulhanlon]

Were on about Proventicular Dilatation Disease debs

 

[Alisana]

There are ways to screen for it...

Dr. Taylor:
Some of the procedures commonly used to screen birds for PDD include fluoroscopy, endoscopy, and biopsy. Fluoroscopy shows great promise in demonstrating abnormalities of gastrointestinal motility far earlier than does radiography. However, a positive fluoroscopic study requires that pathologic lesions are present in the nerves of the gastrointestinal tract to cause recognizable motility abnormalities. Fluoroscopy is superb for demonstrating crop, esophageal, ventricular, and duodenal effects on normal motility caused by PDD, and the fluoroscopic examination can be recorded for analysis and review.
Endoscopy is useful in examining the isthmus region of the proventriculus and the ventriculus from the left caudal thoracic and left abdominal air sacs. Endoscopy is especially helpful in confirming inflammation of the serosal surface of the proventriculus and ventriculus, which is evident in early cases by markedly increased vascularity.
Biopsy of the crop, proventriculus, and ventriculus have all been reported, and currently represents the only method for achieving an antemortem, definitive diagnosis of PDD. The crop remains the only really accessible portion of the gastrointestinal tract from which to harvest the myenteric plexus.

Source: JSTOR: Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery - Proventricular Dilatation Disease

No treatment against the cause of the disease is known but non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been found to reduce irritation. A period of six months quarantine is advised to reduce transmission.

Source:Proventricular dilatation disease - CAB Direct

Have you considered getting your avian vet to check/screen for you?

 

[Alisana]

Ah ha!

Here we go:

Dr. Gregory:
Birds that are directly exposed (mates, offspring, or siblings) to those that have died from PPD (as confirmed by histologic examination) should be considered at risk and placed in isolation for at least 1 year. They should not be euthanatized. In our experience, each 6 months that a bird remains asymptomatic after direct exposure to a PDD-positive bird is a favorable indication that the bird may remain unaffected.1,3 Many birds that are directly exposed to those with PDD never develop the disease.

Source: JSTOR: Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery - Proventricular Dilatation Disease

Hope that answers your question!

 

[Devann]

Thank you SO much Alisana!!! Yes I will talk to the vet when I take her in to get checked. Just brought her home this morning

 

[Alisana]

No probs.

Let us know what the vet says