Evidence of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Virus Spillover Into Wild Critically Endangered Orange-Bellied Parrots (Neophema Chrysogaster)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:We report the recent emergence of a novel beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) genotype in the last remaining wild population of the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). This virus poses a significant threat to the recovery of the species and potentially its survival in the wild. We used PCR to detect BFDV in the blood of three psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)-affected wild Orange-bellied Parrot fledglings captured as founders for an existing captive breeding recovery program. Complete BFDV genome sequence data from one of these birds demonstrating a 1,993-nucleotide-long read encompass the entire circular genome. Maximum-likelihood (ML) and neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic analysis supported the solitary position of this viral isolate in a genetically isolated branch of BFDV. On Rep gene sequencing, a homologous genotype was present in a second wild orange-bellied parrot and the third bird was infected with a distantly related genotype. These viruses have newly appeared in a population that has been intensively monitored for BFDV for the last 13 yr. The detection of two distinct lineages of BFDV in the remnant wild population of Orange-bellied Parrots, consisting of fewer than 50 birds, suggests a role for other parrot species as a reservoir for infection by spillover into this critically endangered species. The potential for such a scenario to contribute to the extinction of a remnant wild animal population is supported by epidemiologic theory.

Phylogenetic analysis of beak and feather disease virus across a host ring-species complex

“…The most notable example is C. lathami, a captive endangered cockatoo species that was likely exposed to wild P. elegans. Similar BFDV spill-over and host-switch events have been shown recently for the endangered orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) (28,29). Our results showed that the partial BFDV genome had phylogenetic structure consistent with the host from which it was sampled with five groups, two of which represent different P. e. flaveolus sampling locations (Fig.…”

“…BFDV occurs in many wild and captive parrot populations worldwide, with the potential to cause high mortality (25,26). Accordingly, it is considered a significant conservation threat and has been implicated in parrot declines in Australia and globally (27)(28)(29)(30). BFDV possesses a single-stranded DNA genome of ∼2,000 nucleotides (31).…”

Beak and feather disease viruses circulating in Cape parrots (Poicepahlus robustus) in South Africa

“…To date, there have been six studies of PBFD in wild parrot populations in New Zealand and Australia [2,[23][24][25][26][27], one in the United Kingdom [28], and two in Africa and associated islands in black-cheeked lovebirds and echo parakeets [11,12]. The first evidence of the emergence of PBFD in wild Cape parrot populations in South Africa was reported in 2008, via photographs and field observations.…”

Characterization of the Whole-Genome Sequence of a Beak and Feather Disease Virus Isolate from a Mallee Ringneck Parrot ( Barnardius zonarius barnardi )

“…Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a common viral infection that occurs in a wide variety of psittacine birds, globally affecting >60 different species (1–4). The disease is caused by one of the smallest and simplest viruses belonging to the family Circoviridae , beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), a nonenveloped icosahedral virus with an approximately 2.0-kb circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome.…”