Pacheco's disease in psittacine birds in Great Britain 1987 to 1991
Gough, R.E.; Alexander, D.J.
Veterinary Record 132(5): 113-115
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 8386869 Document Number: 408920
From 1987 to 1991, herpesviruses were isolated at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, on 32 occasions from submissions from outbreaks of disease in psittacines. The identity of the herpesvirus isolates was confirmed by virus neutralization tests with each isolate using specific Pacheco's psittacine herpesvirus antiserum prepared against the reference strain CVL 644/81. The identity of the reference strain has been confirmed using specific Pacheco's herpesvirus antiserum prepared from viruses obtained from confirmed cases of the disease in Scotland, Germany and USA. All the herpesvirus isolates were completely neutralized using CVL 644/81 reference antiserum. In 23 of the 32 cases Amazona were the species initially involved in the outbreaks and from which the virus was first isolated, although other species subsequently succumbed to infection. In all but 4 cases, outbreaks of Pacheco's disease occurred in birds either in, or recently released from, quarantine. It is suggested that prophylactic vaccination against Pacheco's disease of all susceptible species while in quarantine may help prevent the release of immune carriers with the potential to infect susceptible contacts.