Investigation and Sequence Analysis of Avian Polyomavirus and Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Virus from Companion Birds in Eastern Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: Avian polyomavirus (APV) and psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV) induce contagious and persistent diseases that affect the beaks, feathers, and immune systems of companion birds. APV causes hepatitis, ascites, hydropericardium, depression, feather disorders, abdominal distension, and potentially death. PBFDV can induce progressive beak deformity, feather dystrophy, and plumage loss. We conducted the first prevalence survey of both APV and PBFDV infections in companion birds in eastern Turkey.

Material and methods: A total of 113 fresh dropping samples from apparently healthy companion birds were collected in a random selection. The dropping samples were analysed for PBFDV and APV by PCR. Positive samples were sequenced with the Sanger method. The sequence was confirmed through alignment and the phylogenetic tree generated through the maximum likelihood method computationally.

Results: PBFDV and APV were detected in a respective 48.7% and 23.0% of samples. Coinfection was found in 12.4% of the samples, these all being from budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). APV and PBFDV were detected in budgerigar and cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) samples.

Conclusion: This report provides a foundation for future studies on the influence of these viruses on the health of companion birds. These high positive rates for both pathogens emphasise that healthy M. undulatus and N. hollandicus in eastern Turkey may be prone to the emergence and spread of APV and PBFDV with subclinical potential.

Keywords: avian polyomavirus; companion birds; dropping samples; phylogenetic analysis; psittacine beak and feather disease virus.

Fig. 1

Phylogenetic tree of different avian Polyomavirus (APV) strains generated using the maximum likelihood method in MEGA v X. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1,000 replicates) is shown next to the branches. The evolutionary distances were computed using the maximum likelihood method and are in the units of base substitutions per site. Codon positions included were 1^st + 2^nd + 3^rd + noncoding. The analysis involved 33 nucleotide sequences

Fig. 2

Phylogenetic tree of different Circovirus strains generated using the maximum likelihood methods in MEGA v X. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1,000 replicates) are shown next to the branches. The evolutionary distances were computed using the maximum composite likelihood method and are in the units of base substitutions per site. The tree is drawn to scale, with branch lengths measured in the number of substitutions per site. The analysis involved 49 nucleotide sequences. Codon positions included were 1^st + 2^nd + 3^rd + noncoding