pathologyofbirds–anoverview.docVIP

Pathology of Birds – An Overview H. L. Shivaprasad California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, Fresno Branch School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 2789 South Orange Avenue. Fresno, CA 93725 Tele: 559-498-7740, Fax: 559-485-8097 E-mail: hlshivaprasad@ucdavis.edu Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. Taxonomy 3 3. Anatomy 5 4. Inflammation 7 5. Coagulation 8 6. Complement 8 7. Bacterial Diseases 8 8. Fungal diseases 15 9. Viral diseases 16 10. Parasitic diseases 28 11. Toxicosis 35 12. Metabolic diseases 38 13. Diseases of Malnutrition 43 14. Neoplasia 44 15. References: 46 Birds: Of all the higher forms of life the birds are the most beautiful, most musical, most admired, most watched and most defended. Roger Tory Peterson (1974) Introduction Similar to other animals, birds are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Knowledge about the type of birds, their anatomy and how they are managed does help one understand the type and kind of diseases different birds are susceptible to. Because some types of birds are raised for egg production or meat, such as commercial poultry, infectious diseases can spread rapidly among birds raised in a confined space. Poultry can also be raised in small numbers as backyard flocks. Often poultry raised in such conditions are more often exposed to natural elements and are often not vaccinated; poor nutrition and lax biosecurity can lead to frequent viral, bacterial, parasitic and nutritional diseases. Pet and exotic birds such as psittacines and passerines are raised in small or large aviaries, sold in pet shops and kept as pets. These birds have their own unique diseases that can be influenced by management. There are also free flying birds that face ever shrinking habitats and ecosystems that are undergoing changes. Therefore, diseases in such birds are greatly influenced by environmental factors. Numerous birds raised o