Strange disease or what?

[monotwine]

Have any of you ever come across a disease/condition in the aviary that leaves your birds dead within a few hours of showing symptoms?
I find the birds fluffed, balancing on splayed legs on the aviary floor - no signs of nightfright or injury. If they do move they stagger around falling over with no balance or orientation. The previous day they displayed no discomfort or illness, some were in the process of rearing young & others nest building etc. Lost 3 birds this week? I sent in a body for autopsy and my bird vet could find nothing wrong, no bacteria, fungus, cocci or parasites. Last year I had the same issue with two Gouldian hens. I send in blood work to test for APV (avian polyomavirus) and that came back negative too. I’m stumped as to what is going on. All I can do is keep the ill bird warm and hydrated, but they all pass away within a day. I lost two hens, one parrot finch another Gouldian and a Blue cap male this week.

I just wish I could know what was wrong.

[Myzomela]

Your best bet is to have one of the birds sent away for histopathological examination, not just a gross post mortem.

It sounds like it is either something toxic that they are getting exposed to, or a very quick-acting (peracute) bacterial or viral infection which may not show signs on a gross post mortem.

In the meantime, review all your management practices. Food sources and storage- possible contamination from rodents, fungi or their toxins; water sources and storage; any chemicals used in or around the aviaries. Any recent medications? Any recent new birds added to the aviary? Anything that you've changed around the birds. Any run off into the aviary from surrounding areas that may be contaminated. etc etc.

Hope you find an answer soon.

If the deaths continue and you have no answers I recommend you catch up the birds and house them in holding cages, feed new seed and boil their water before use until you can work out what's going on. I try to separate perfectly healthy-looking birds in one group, birds that are "not quite right" in another, and obviously sick birds separately.

[monotwine]

Thank you for your prompt and helpful answer Myzomela.
I'm going to send tissue samples away for the two birds that last night. The previous body my vet recommended not doing it for as he could find nothing wrong, but seeing as more birds have died he will send in samples to the labs.
Will again look at my management practises. No new birds in the aviary. Only used a cocci preventative treatement of ESB3 a week ago, but been using that for years without any issues.
No chemicals used. No new birds into the aviary, I have seperate quarantine cage for new birds and they've not been released into the main aviary.
Two months ago I moved house and aviary, so everything is changed and new, but nothing I can think of that would be toxic to them in any way.

Thanks for the advice. If this continues, I'll definately take your advice and move them all to holding cages.

[djb78]

Hi monotwine,
you have said in another post that your having issues with mosquitoes, any possibility that they may hate something to do with this ie some type of virus. Could there be a type of parasite that may be attacking your birds when they sleep. I no expert of these areas but maybe a local vet may be able to come up with something along these lines due to them being from your area and knowing most of the nasties from around there.

[monotwine]

Thanks for the observation. My avian vet that is helping me is also a finch breeder, from the area (Lucky aren't I?) and he does not draw any correlation between the two scenario's. We've been having a few days of cold weather in the middle of summer. That may have played a role? WHo knows. I'm observing the flock now. The rest look ok with no signs of any illness. Holding thumbs it was nothing too serious.