Avian bornavirus and proventricular dilatation disease: diagnostics, pathology, prevalence, and control.

Abstract

Avian bornavirus (ABV) has been shown the cause of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) in psittacines. Many healthy birds are infected with ABV, and the development of PDD in such cases is unpredictable. As a result, the detection of ABV in a sick bird is not confirmation that it is suffering from PDD. Treatment studies are in their infancy. ABV is not restricted to psittacines. It has been found to cause PDD-like disease in canaries. It is also present at a high prevalence in North American geese, swans, and ducks. It is not believed that these waterfowl genotypes can cause disease in psittacines.