First analysis of beak and feather disease of psittacine in Nineveh province, Iraq

Abstract

Parrots are susceptible to the viral infection known as Beak and Feather Disease of the Psittacine (PBFD). The causative virus belongs to the Circoviridae family under taxonomic genus Circovirus. In the province of Nineveh, no previous research has found Circovirus in parrots. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to ascertain whether the virus is present in parrots. using cytopathology, histopathology, PCR techniques and genetic sequence from feather follicles. The results showed that 47% of the parrot birds were infected with the disease, which showed brittleness of feathers, loss of its weight, feather blade shattering from its follicles, and the cytological and histological diagnosis showed the presence mixed cell inflammation and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies with atrophy of the feather follicles with necrosis and degeneration in the liver cells. Circovirus was detected by PCR with 717 bp. Targeting VP1 capsid genes from 20 positive samples were sequenced and documented in the GenBank-NCBI under accession numbers of OQ925390 and OQ925391. The phylogenetic tree diagram reveals that the sequences of the VP1 capsid gene has identical to 100% genetic match with the strains utilized Poland and Brazil fixed in the Gen Bank.

Keywords

• psittacine beak and feather disease
• pcr