Herpesvirus hepatitis resembling Pacheco's disease in New Zealand parrots

Authors: Clark RG, Durham PJK, Gumbrell RC
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 25, Issue 6, pp 168, Jun 1977
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Avian
Subject Terms: Liver/hepatic disease, Viral, Disease/defect, Infectious disease
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: A virus was first incriminated as a cause of hepatitis in parrots by Rivers and Schwentker following earlier reports of the disease in South American parrots by Pacheco and Bier, who thought the disease to be an atypical form of psittacosis. The identification of the agent as a herpesvirus was reported only recently. Herpesviruses have also been reported to cause hepatitis in other non-psittacine birds, notably owls, falcons and pigeons. Viral hepatitis in pigeons apparently due to a herpesvirus was recently diagnosed in New Zealand by Thompson et al., who demonstrated herpesvirus-like particles in fixed liver and pancreas tissue by electron microscopy…

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