Vaccination for PBFD

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) (also known as psittacine circoviral disease) is a chronic and ultimately fatal disease in parrots, cockatoos and other psittacine birds. The disease is considered a key threatening process to at least 16 endangered and vulnerable bird species in Australia. This project will develop vaccination protocols to control PBFD in critically endangered and threatened bird species. The species most risk is the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot with an estimated current wild population of less than 50 birds.

To prevent any possible confounding interference from other psittacine pathogens, vaccination studies will initially be conducted in non-psittacine birds to assess immunological responses. Field trials will then be undertaken in captive psittacine flocks in non-threatened species to assess safety and antibody responses to vaccination, followed by trials with orange-bellied parrots in captive breeding programs.