Three psittacine fatalities due to an unidentified sporozoan parasite infection in a closed psittacine aviary

摘要

Fatalities associated with hemosporozoan infections are uncommon to rare in psittacine birds. Death due to tissue phases of a parasite believed to be Leucocytozoon species or Haemoproteus species have been described in budgerigars. This report describes fatalities in 2 sun conures (Aratinga solstitialis) (Cases 1-2) and a gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) (Case 3), associated with hepatic sporozoan cysts resembling megaloschizonts of Leucocytozoon or Haemoproteus species.