(Nestor notabilis) Husbandry Manual - Kea Conservation Trust

49
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms range from respiratory distress, gasping, accelerated breathing, voice
changes, abnormal droppings, emaciation, regurgitation, poor appetite, diarrhoea,
anorexia, gout, increased thirst, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, dyspnoea,
neuromuscular disease, and somnolence, lesions (yellow or gray nodules and/or
plaques in the lungs, air sacs, or trachea; less often in the peritoneal cavity, liver
or other sites).
Infected eggs may develop a slightly greenish tint when candled. Well developed
lesions may appear on infected embryos after they hatch.
Transmission
Spores can may be inhaled from contaminated feed, fecal material, and soil and
develop in the respiratory system, lungs, eyes, and ears. Young and old birds,
birds on antibiotics, and those birds whose immune systems are suppressed by
surgery, reproduction, environmental changes, capture, shipping, or age are
frequently infected.
Aspergillus can also infect the developing embryo by penetrating the egg while
the embryo is developing.
Prevention and Treatment
Use of damp and contaminated hay, straw, leaf litter or similar material inside bird
enclosures must be avoided to reduce the number of spores in the environment.
All such material must stored in dry area. If a bird is suspected of having
aspergillosis, aggressive veterinary treatment should begin immediately. Long
courses of antifungal treatment such as Amphoteracin, & Itraconazole may be
given as well as immunostimulants. Surgery may be required with certain
localised aspergillomas.
Prevention is through minimisation of stress and overcrowding and provision of
adequate ventilation and uncontaminated nesting materials. Feed should be
stored in a dry environment to prevent fungal growth. Enclosure placement and
design are also important in preventing this disease. See 4.1
Housing/Environment Standards.
Testing
Tentative diagnosis can be made with clinical signs, blood tests (showing a very
high white cell count), x-rays and is sometimes confirmed by culture.
Unfortunately this disease is most often confirmed after death.
Avian Malaria
In 1996 Avian malaria was first confirmed as causing a severe disease outbreak
in New Zealand dotterel chicks (Charadrius obscures) in two captive rearing
institutions in the North Island (Auckland Zoological Park and Otorohanga Kiwi
House), leading to the deth of 10 out of 16 birds – a significant loss for this
endangered species (Jacob-Hoff et al., unpublished data.) Another captive
outbreak occurred in 2003-2005 in mohua at Orana Wildlife Park after they were
translocated from the wild.
This is a potentially serious disease which has caused widespread extinction on
the Hawaiian Islands due to the naivety of the wild bird population to this disease
Kea Conservation Trust Final 25/11/2010