Sarco

[Joel]

Hey team, especially those with A.V. friends........I just received a call from a buddy that has some birds out back. He recently got home from a trip a few days ago and said he found a proven pair of Vos Ekkies in the nestbox - dead. They have eggs in there too. .............

He just got the results of the necropsy from the most expensive A.V. in town and the conclusion, without further testing, was Sarco...... Vet said it was transported from oppossum droppings into birds food. My friend asked if it could have been flies that did the transporting of Sarco and the vet said no, as far as he knew only roaches? Does anyone know the reasoning behind why flies or other insects can't transport it. A pair of Lories were found dead at the bottom of their cage by his caretaker only a week before. ...Those were not necropsied.....He has opossum traps out now and has put some granules of something around cages, I forgot name of granules .

Another question, eggs haven't been sat on since probably Thursday and he tells me just now. He thinks they are probably no good, anyone ever have a case where eggs lasted this long. Our temps at night are still in the seventies........ Could they possibly still be good? I will go over and get them and put in my incubator if any chance.

[Monica]

I hate to hear that the birds died from Sarco (I haven't heard of it before), though as far as the eggs go, I've heard that they can last just fine without incubation for 21 days before actually going bad... That is, without the freezing cold or sizzling temperatures.... So the eggs may of course still be good...

[The Outlaw]

Joel:

Well, I don't think I'd bring the eggs into my home for I have no idea if they are contaminated. I would assume that's what attracted the possums in the first place. This is one time its probably better not to hatch them.

[The Outlaw]

Joel:

You sure he doesn't mean Circovirus? All I can find is sarcoma and that's cancer. Circovirus is a fancy name for Beak and Feather disease.

[Samm]

If I had an incubator, I'd try to save the eggs. Give it a try Joel.

[The Outlaw]

Samm:

If its circovirus, the chicks won't survive anyway.

[Joel]

No, it is definitely Sarcocystis.

Nancy........ page 1379 in the index of Avian Medicine: Principles and Application, far right hand column...... References throughout that book on it.

Samm.....I'm still planning on going to get the eggs tonight, as of now and if look good from outside I will put in incubator away from all other birds and see what happens. I may have time to read up more on it first though. I have lost some birds to the same thing in the past but I don't remember all the specs on the disease at the moment.......So is there any other opinions on whether the eggs could still be good since Thursday, not sure if they had already been sat on by the female or for how many days before she died? He has a breeding pair of S.I.'s right next to them in another cage.

[The Outlaw]

Joel:

I had actually only looked in the companion text, Avian Viruses: Function and Control. I'll go check out the other book now. Thanks.

[The Outlaw]

Joel:

The text says that roaches who have eaten opposum droppings can contaminate bird food or in fact they themselves be eaten by bird. That is the normal vector for this disease transmission. I would assume that Florida has more than its share of roaches. If the food containers are left exposed, roaches could easily contaminate stored food. Or, they can actually get into the birds dishes when they are in the nest box.

[Joel]

Yes, that I am aware of Nancy, take note others who haven't heard of this disease.... Thanks for typing it out Nancy, I'm behind schedule today myself. :)