ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2012) —
A new strain of avian pox is taking its toll on garden birds in Britain,
reports new research published this week in PLOS ONE.
Scientists from the Zoological Society of London
(ZSL), University of Oxford, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and RSPB
report on the impact avian pox is having on great tit populations.
Avian pox has been recorded in British bird
species such as house sparrows and wood pigeons for a number of years. However,
the emergence of a new strain of this viral disease in great tits is causing
concern amongst vets and ornithologists.
Wildlife vet Dr Becki Lawson from ZSL says:
"Infection leads to warty, tumour-like growths on different parts of a
bird's body, particularly on the head around the eyes and beak.
"Although the disease can be relatively
mild in some species, great tits suffer severe growths that can prevent them
from feeding and increase their susceptibility to predation," Dr Lawson
added.
Whilst a range of tit species are susceptible to
this novel form of the disease, detailed monitoring of birds in Wytham Woods by
scientists at the University of Oxford show that great tits are by far the most
susceptible.
Great tits 'more susceptible' to new avian pox
than other British birds
Great tits are being severely affected by a new
strain of avian pox in Britain that "significantly reduces" the birds' chance of survival, new
research published on Wednesday shows.
Avian pox is a viral disease that has been present in British
garden birds such as dunnocks, house sparrows, starlings and wood pigeons since
the 1950s. However it was unknown among species in the tit family before 2006,
when sightings of infected birds were first reported by members of the public
in south-east England.
While all tit species are affected by the new
form of the disease, great tits (Parus major) are "by far the most
susceptible", shows one of three new papers by the Zoological Society of
London (ZSL), the University of Oxford, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
and the RSPB, published in the journal
PLOS ONE.
Affected birds develop warty, tumour-like
growths and lesions, mainly on the head and neck and at the base of the wings.
Infection is thought to be spread by biting insects, direct bird-to-bird
contact or indirect contact from contaminated surfaces.
Although the disease has a relatively mild
affect on some species, it causes severe and large growths on great tits that
can prevent them from seeing, feeding or moving around, thereby increasing their
risk of predation, starvation and other infections.
Increasing incidents of pox reported by the
public between 2006-10 showed the disease spreading further west and north, and
in 2011 it reached south-west England, Wales and as far north as Merseyside and
the Humber.
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