IDENTIFICATION AND CORRELATION OF A NOVEL SIADENOVIRUS IN A FLOCK OF BUDGERIGARS (MELOPSITTACUS UNDULATES) INFECTED...

A flock of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulates) was purchased from a licensed breeder and quarantined at a zoologic facility within the United States in 2016. Following 82 deaths within the flock, the remaining 66 birds were depopulated because of ongoing clinical salmonellosis despite treatment. Gross necropsy was performed on all 66 birds. Histopathologic examination was performed on 10 birds identified with gross lesions and 10 birds without. Pathologic findings were most often observed in the liver, kidney, and spleen. Lesions noted in the livers and spleens were consistent with published reports of salmonellosis in psittacine species. Multisystemic changes associated with septicemia were not noted, most likely because of antibiotic intervention before euthanasia. Of the 20 budgerigars evaluated by histopathology, six had large basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies within tubular epithelia in a portion of the kidneys. Electronic microscopy, next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify and categorize the identified virus as a novel siadenovirus strain BuAdV-1 USA-IA43444-2016. The strain was 99% similar to budgerigar adenovirus 1 (BuAdV-1), previously reported in Japan, and to a psittacine adenovirus 5 recently identified in a U.S. cockatiel. Salmonella typhimurium carriers were identified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacterial culture and compared with viral carriers identified via PCR. Inclusion bodies and Salmonella detection were significant in birds with gross lesions versus those without; however, there was no correlation between budgerigars positive with siadenovirus by PCR and concurrent Salmonella infection. Identifying subclinical siadenovirus strain BuAdV-1 USA-IA43444-2016 infection in this flock significantly differs from a previous report of clinical illness in five budgerigars resulting in death caused by BuAdV-1 in Japan. S. typhimurium remains a significant pathogen in budgerigars, and zoonotic concerns prompted depopulation to mitigate the public health risks of this flock.