Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a significant pathogen of wild Australasian and African psittacine birds. We assessed the immunogenicity of recombinant BFDV capsid (recBFDVcap) to protect against the development of psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD). Long-billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) (n=13) received (by injection) 1 ml vaccine containing 10 μg recBFDVcap on day 0 and 0.4 ml vaccine containing 66.8 μg recBFDVcap on day 11. All vaccinated corellas and five non-vaccinated control corellas were given 0.4 ml BFDV suspension [titre=log2 12 haemagglutination units (HAU) 50 μl−1] intramuscularly and 0.1 ml orally 16 days after booster vaccination. Blood was collected during the vaccination period and blood and feathers were collected after BFDV administration. Testing of blood samples included BFDV DNA detection by PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR) as well as antibody detection by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and on feather samples, BFDV DNA and antigen was detected by haemagglutination (HA) and qPCR. Four of 97 blood samples collected from vaccinated birds after virus challenge tested positive by PCR, whereas 17 of 35 samples taken from non-vaccinated control corellas tested positive. Vaccinated birds did not develop feather lesions, had only transient PCR-detectable viraemia and had no evidence of persistent infection 270 days post-challenge using PCR, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Non-vaccinated control corellas developed transient feather lesions and had PCR, HI and HA test results consistent with PBFD. They were BFDV PCR-positive for up to 41 days post-challenge and qPCR demonstrated reduced virus replication in vaccinated birds compared with non-vaccinated control birds.
AlbertynJ.,
TajbhaiK. M.,
BraggR. R.2004; Psittacine beak and feather disease virus in budgerigars and ring-neck parakeets in South Africa. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 71:29–34
BassamiM. R.,
YpelaarI.,
BerrymanD.,
WilcoxG. E.,
RaidalS. R.2001; Genetic diversity of beak and feather disease virus detected in psittacine species in Australia. Virology 279:392–400[CrossRef]
BertE.,
TomassoneL.,
PeccatiC.,
NavarreteM. G.,
SolaS. C.2005; Detection of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and avian polyomavirus (APV) DNA in psittacine birds in Italy. J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health 52:64–68[CrossRef]
BrentanoL.,
LazzarinS.,
BassiS. S.,
KleinT. A. P.,
SchatK. A.2005; Detection of chicken anemia virus in the gonads and in the progeny of broiler breeder hens with high neutralizing antibody titers. Vet Microbiol 105:65–72[CrossRef]
JacobsonE. R.,
ClubbS.,
SimpsonC.,
WalshM.,
Lothrop,C. D.Jr,
GaskinJ.,
BauerJ.,
HinesS.,
KolliasG. V.other authors1986; Feather and beak dystrophy and necrosis in cockatoos: clinicopathologic evaluations. J Am Vet Med Assoc 189:999–1005
KhalesiB.,
BonneN.,
StewartM.,
SharpM.,
RaidalS.2005; A comparison of haemagglutination, haemagglutination inhibition and PCR for the detection of psittacine beak and feather disease virus infection and a comparison of isolates obtained from loriids. J Gen Virol 86:3039–3046[CrossRef]
LarochelleR.,
BielanskiA.,
MullerP.,
MagarR.2000; PCR detection and evidence of shedding of porcine circovirus type 2 in boar semen. J Clin Microbiol 38:4629–4632
NaukkarinenA.,
SorvariT. E.1984; Involution of the chicken bursa of Fabricius: a light microscopic study with special reference to transport of colloidal carbon in the involuting bursa. J Leukoc Biol 35:281–290
OpriessnigT.,
MckeownN. E.,
HarmonK. L.,
MengX. J.,
HalburP. G.2006; Porcine circovirus type 2 infection decreases the efficacy of a modified live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccine. Clin Vaccine Immunol 13:923–929[CrossRef]
PhenixK. V.,
WestonJ. H.,
YpelaarI.,
LavazzaA.,
SmythJ. A.,
ToddD.,
WilcoxG. E.,
RaidalS. R.2001; Nucleotide sequence analysis of a novel circovirus of canaries and its relationship to other members of the genus Circovirus of the family Circoviridae . J Gen Virol 82:2805–2809
RahausM.,
WolffM. H.2003; Psittacine beak and feather disease: a first survey of the distribution of beak and feather disease virus inside the population of captive psittacine birds in Germany. J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health 50:368–371[CrossRef]
RaidalS. R.1994; Studies on psittacine beak and feather disease . PhD thesis University of Sydney;
RaidalS. R.,
CrossG. M.1994; Control by vaccination of psittacine beak and feather disease in a mixed flock of Agapornis spp. Aust Vet Pract 24:178–180
RaidalS. R.,
McElneaC. L.,
CrossG. M.1993a; Seroprevalence of psittacine beak and feather disease in wild psittacine birds in New South Wales. Aust Vet J 70:137–139[CrossRef]
RaidalS. R.,
FirthG. A.,
CrossG. M.1993b; Vaccination and challenge studies with psittacine beak and feather disease virus. Aust Vet J 70:437–441[CrossRef]
RaidalS. R.,
SabineM.,
CrossG. M.1993c; Laboratory diagnosis of psittacine beak and feather disease by haemagglutination and haemagglutination inhibition. Aust Vet J 70:133–137[CrossRef]
RaueR.,
JohneR.,
CrostaL.,
BurkleM.,
GerlachH.,
MullerH.2004; Nucleotide sequence analysis of a C1 gene fragment of psittacine beak and feather disease virus amplified by real-time polymerase chain reaction indicates a possible existence of genotypes. Avian Pathol 33:41–50[CrossRef]
RiddochP. A.,
RaidalS. R.,
CrossG. M.1996; Psittacine circovirus antibody detection and an update on the methods for diagnosis of psittacine beak and feather disease. Aust Vet Pract 26:134–137
RitchieP. A.,
AndersonI. L.,
LambertD. M.2003; Evidence for specificity of psittacine beak and feather disease viruses among avian hosts. Virology 306:109–115[CrossRef]
ShearerP. L.,
BonneN.,
ClarkP.,
SharpM.,
RaidalS. R.2008a; Development and applications of a monoclonal antibody to a recombinant beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) capsid protein. J Virol Methods 147:206–212[CrossRef]
StewartM. E.,
BonneN.,
ShearerP.,
KhalesiB.,
SharpM.,
RaidalS.2007; Baculovirus expression of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) capsid protein capable of self-assembly and haemagglutination. J Virol Methods 141:181–187[CrossRef]
YpelaarI.,
BassamiM. R.,
WilcoxG. E.,
RaidalS. R.1999; A universal polymerase chain reaction for the detection of psittacine beak and feather disease virus. Vet Microbiol 68:141–148[CrossRef]