Search

Background: The growth of exotic pet medicine is leading to fast developments in clinical investigations on birds. Acupuncture, specifically pharmacopuncture, offers safe chemical restraint options., Objectives: To investigate pharmacopuncture at acupoint GV20 in blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) using ketamine and midazolam., Methods: Sixteen healthy birds were distributed into four groups (C: intramuscular control; 1/2 C: 1/2 dose intramuscular control; 1/2 GV20: 1/2 dose at acupoint GV20; 1/5 GV20: 1/5 dose at acupoint GV20). Degree of sedation, latency, recuperation time, heart and respiratory rate, and body temperature were measured. Quantitative data were analyzed by a Student's t-test., Results: The C, 1/2 C, and 1/2 GV20 groups showed the same degree of sedation. The 1/2 GV20 group showed longer latency times (6 ± 2.1) than the 1/2 C (2.5 ± 0.5) group. Sedation time did not differ between the C (28 ± 9.8), 1/2 C (30.5 ± 8.6), and 1/2 GV20 (41 ± 22.24) groups. The 1/2 GV20 group recuperated faster (13.7 ± 3.7) than the C group (64.2 ± 3.5). The C and 1/2 C groups showed tremors and slow and unstable recovery. Two animals in the C group showed mild hypothermia (38°C)., Conclusion: The use of 1/2 GV20 was effective and safe to sedate blue-fronted Amazon parrots without side effects, providing easy, stable, and fast recovery. The use of 1/5 GV20 had a shorter sedation time. These findings show that the combination of acupuncture and drugs provides new possibilities for efficient anesthetic protocols with fewer side effects in birds.

Salmonella has long been linked to zoonotic risks, including exotic pets. Parrots are popular pets, and we here describe a salmonellosis outbreak involving Blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) confiscated from the illegal pet trade in Brazil. High mortality was observed during the rehabilitation for which the causative agent was identified by cultures, and VITEK®2 GN identification card as Salmonella enterica. Genome sequencing of two isolates revealed serovar Newport ST45. The isolates were resistant to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones, and genomic analyses detected characteristic Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPIs) and virulence factors. A phylogenetic analysis with other 275 S. Newport ST45 from different international sources showed clustering with poultry and vegetables isolates and closely related clades of intermingled animal, human, food/environmental isolates from different countries (Tables S1 and S2). The virulent profiles and phylogenetic connection to multiple sources bring the attention to the non-host specificity of these strains highlighting the zoonotic potential in the illegal wildlife trade for companion animals., (© 2021 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)