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OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of Serratospiculum spp. in falcons in the greater Sydney region. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study; a total of 57 falcons entering wildlife rehabilitation in Sydney and surrounding areas between 2017 and 2019 were recruited into the study. Presence of Serratospiculum spp. eggs in faeces using faecal wet prep technique was used as an indicator of infection. RESULTS Evidence of Serratospiculum spp. infection was detected in 10 out of 57 falcons, (18%). There was no significant correlation with body condition score or age group. PCR analysis of a representative nematode in a Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) was revealed to be Serratospiculum tendo. CONCLUSION Serratospiculum spp are present in 18% of falcons coming into care in the Sydney region. The prevalence in this study is similar to that found in other parts of the world. This study provides evidence of the importance of faecal testing and treatment of falcons in a rehabilitation setting.

BACKGROUND: A 17‐year‐old female rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) was presented for a swelling over the right proximal humerus and an inability to fly. CASE REPORT: Radiographs revealed a markedly osteoproductive and moderately osteolytic lesion of the proximal left humerus with marked associated soft tissue swelling. Biopsy of the proximal humerus was consistent with an air sac cystadenocarcioma. The bird's condition deteriorated over 25 days after initial presentation and it developed a respiratory wheeze, tail bob, tachypnea and died. On postmortem examination, the bird was found to have an air sac cystadenocarcinoma associated with the proximal humerus, extending into the thoracic cavity through a network of fibrous sheets and displaying infiltration into the lung tissue bilaterally. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a humeral air sac cystadenocarcinoma in a lorikeet and it builds on our understanding of the species affected by avian neoplasia.

Macrorhabdus ornithogaster is an ascomycete yeast often found at the isthmus of the ventriculus and proventriculus of infected birds. Antemortem diagnosis has traditionally involved direct visualization of organisms on wet-mount or gram-stained fecal preparations, cloacal and crop swabs, or by both methods; however, different in-clinic diagnostic techniques have never been compared to establish an optimum test for the identification of M ornithogaster in an avian patient. We compared 5 microscopically evaluated diagnostic testing methods: fecal Gram's stain, direct fecal wet preparation, macro suspension technique, macro suspension with Gram's stain, and macro suspension stained with new methylene blue. Each technique was performed on 96 fecal samples collected during the treatment of M ornithogaster-infected budgerigars with water-soluble amphotericin B. The macro suspension technique produced statistically higher organism counts than the other 4 techniques and was always estimated to have the largest detection probability. We recommend that the macro suspension technique be implemented as the most efficacious diagnostic test for in-clinic assessment of avian patients possibly infected with M ornithogaster.

CASE REPORT: A 7-year-old male diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) presented with a 2-month history of anorexia and a discrete intracoelomic mass, approximately 15 cm in length, located 90 cm from the head and approximately two-thirds of the snout to vent length. Physical examination determined the mass was likely to be stomach, testes or the right kidney. Radiographs showed a soft tissue opacity mass in the region of the stomach; fine needle aspirate demonstrated cellular debris admixed with bacteria and degenerate heterophils. Exploratory coeliotomy revealed a gastric mass involving 90% of the length of the stomach, partially occluding the gastric lumen. A subtotal gastrectomy was performed; the neoplastic tissue was removed with 2 cm margins, leaving 1 cm of stomach wall and the pyloric sphincter caudally that was anastomosed to the oesophagus. Four large nematodes were found within the necrotic lumen of the mass tightly adhered to the gastric mucosa. Ascarid nematodes were identified morphologically and further confirmed by molecular diagnostics as Ophidascaris spp. Histopathological evaluation of the excised mass revealed a gastric adenocarcinoma. Postoperatively the snake suffered from gastrointestinal dysfunction and maldigestion and was managed with slurry feeding for month. Three months postoperatively the snake was gaining weight, eating without assistance and digesting whole prey, which was incrementally increased in size. Gastroscopy 6 months postoperatively revealed the presence of a functional stomach with a functional pyloric sphincter and 8.5 cm of gastric mucosa caudal to the anastomosis between the oesophagus and stomach. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of almost complete subtotal gastric resection in an Australian python, with evidence of compensatory gastric stretching resulting in a functional stomach.

An adult female gyrfalcon (

Amphotericin B is widely used for the treatment of Macrorhabdus ornithogaster infections. To date, however, there have been no randomized controlled trials confirming its efficacy where cure was confirmed by postmortem examination. To determine the efficacy of amphotericin B against M. ornithogaster, a three-part study was undertaken. Treatment outcomes of M. ornithogaster infected birds treated amphotericin B were reviewed. A pilot treatment trial with two naturally infected birds (Melopsittacus undulatus and Agapornis roseicollis) was undertaken, administering amphotericin B at 100 mg/kg twice daily for 30 days. Finally, a randomized controlled trial using experimentally infected chickens treated with amphotericin B at 25 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg twice daily for 10 days was performed. Retrospective analysis indicated treatment failure in 80.4% of 36 cases that met the inclusion criteria. The pilot study showed that amphotericin B did not clear, but significantly decreased Macrorhabdus ornithogaster burden, followed by profound rebound effect of the number of organisms shed in the feces. Finally, the randomized controlled trial found that amphotericin B given at 100 mg/kg did not clear, but significantly decreased the burden of M. ornithogaster compared with both the 25 mg/kg group (P = .037) and the no treatment control group (P = .001). A strong curvilinear correlation between body weight and M. ornithogaster infection burden was present in the infected chickens. These findings represent treatment failure in three scenarios and indicate that treatment with amphotericin B has poor efficacy against Macrorhabdus ornithogaster.

The intertarsal joint is a synovial roll-and-glide joint. Ligament damage and luxations of this joint are often the result of traumatic injury or growth deformities and result in significant functional impairment. A 9-month-old female Pekin duck ( Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) was examined because of progressive, nonweight-bearing lameness of the left leg. Moderate effusive swelling was present at the level of the left intertarsal joint, without radiographic evidence of bone involvement. The duck failed to respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and analgesia and was diagnosed with rupture of the medial collateral ligament. Extracapsular surgical correction using bone tunnels and circumferential nylon suture on the medial aspect of the intertarsal joint led to a complete clinical resolution with normal return to function 2 weeks after surgery. This report reviews the anatomy and function of the intertarsal joint in the duck and details a simple extracapsular repair technique useful in the correction of collateral ligament rupture in this joint of ducks.

An adult female gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) was presented with a right-wing droop and weight loss. Radiographic images revealed osteolysis and osseous proliferation of the right shoulder and the mobile vertebra between the notarium and synsacrum. The tentative diagnosis was vertebral osteomyelitis secondary to septic arthritis. The bird did not respond to antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy and represented 10 days later, with feathers soiled with feces, an impacted, dilated cloaca, and an inability to stand due to spastic paralysis of the hind legs. The bird's condition did not improve with 24 hours of supportive care and its quality of life was considered poor; therefore, the patient was euthanatized and submitted for postmortem examination. Multicentric septic osteomyelitis and arthritis were confirmed in the mobile vertebra between the notarium and synsacrum and the right shoulder. Despite 10 days of antibiotic therapy, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from within the 2 locations in which septic osteomyelitis and arthritis were identified. This report describes the clinical features, diagnosis, and pathologic findings of septic osteomyelitis and arthritis caused by S aureus in a falcon.

Case report A 5-year-old captive male diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) was presented with a 1-month history of regurgitation and anorexia and discrete coelomic distention. Physical examination revealed a firm, immobile mass at approximately two-thirds of the snout–vent length from the front of the head. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirate biopsy of the mass in the region of the stomach showed necrosis with bacterial infiltration and possibly neoplastic changes. A gastroscopy was conducted, but showed grossly normal gastric mucosa, confirmed by biopsy. On exploratory coeliotomy, it was confirmed the mass involved most of the stomach wall and occluded the gastric lumen. The mass was completely excised and based on histopathology, a diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma was made. The snake was found dead 12 h postoperatively, but no specific cause of death was found on postmortem examination. Conclusion Most cases of adenocarcinoma in snakes go undiagnosed. This case report illustrates that the architecture of gastric masses may lead to false-negative gastric biopsy results in snakes with neoplasia.

Disease surveillance is vital to the management of New Zealand's endemic and threatened avian species. Three infectious agents that are potential threats to New Zealand's endemic birds include avian polyomavirus (APV), beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), and avian malaria. All three agents have been reported in New Zealand; however, possible reservoir populations have not been identified. In this communication, we report the first study of APV, BFDV, and avian malaria in introduced adult exhibition budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) in New Zealand. Blood samples were collected from 90 living adult budgerigars from three breeding locations in the North Island of New Zealand. An overall APV prevalence of 22% was determined using a broad-spectrum nested PCR that amplified the major capsid protein VP1 gene of polyomavirus. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene revealed a unique isolate of APV, which had a sequence divergence of 32% to previously reported budgerigar fledgling disease strains and 33% to the recently reported New Zealand finch isolate. All of the budgerigars sampled were found to be PCR negative for BFDV, and an overall prevalence of 30% was detected by PCR for avian malaria. Sequencing revealed the presence of ubiquitous malarial strains and also the potentially destructive Plasmodium relictum strain. The results of this study suggest that both APV and avian malaria are present in New Zealand adult budgerigars, and our study highlights the need for further studies to determine whether these pathogens in captive bird populations may be a threat or spill over into New Zealand's endemic and threatened avifauna and whether prevention and control methods need to be implemented.