Investigation and sequence analysis of psittacine beak and feather disease virus and avian polyomavirus from companion birds in Windhoek, Namibia

Abstract

The commercial farming and trading of parrots and ornamental birds as companion animals are important economic activities in many countries. Some of the bird species farmed/traded are captured from the wild or are closely related to wild birds and therefore represent a risk of pathogen exchange/introduction. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and avian poliomavirus (APV) are among the viruses with the biggest impact on companion bird populations and have been detected in different hosts worldwide. Despite their relevance for both domesticated and wild birds, our knowledge of BFDV and APV epidemiology remains limited in several African countries. In the present study, 143 cloacal swabs were collected from companion birds in Windhoek, Namibia, and tested by polymerase chain reaction for BFDV and APV. Of the samples tested, 35/143 (24.48%) tested positive for BFDV; 11/143 (7.69%) were positive for APV; and 6/143 (4.2%) tested positive for both pathogens. Positive amplicons, consisting of segments of the ORF1 and VP1 genes, were sequenced and compared with sequences from viruses identified in other countries. Four Namibian-only clades of BFDV were identified, loosely related to foreign strains, which suggest the occurrence of multiple introduction events in the past, potentially from South Africa, followed by local, independent evolution. In contrast, the Namibian APV sequences were identical to each other and form a single clade. In both instances, no correlation was observed between the sampling host and the viral phylogeny, suggesting the absence of host-specific adaptation and a remarkable, unconstrained viral circulation within Namibian borders. Therefore, while regulations and control measures developed against foreign strain introduction have proven to be effective over time, the spread of BFDV and APV within Namibia's borders appears undeterred. Additional resources should be dedicated to limit strain circulation in commercial farming facilities, markets and small-scale traders.

Keywords: Avian polyomavirus; Birds; Namibia; Phylogenetic analysis; Polymerase chain reaction; Psittacine beak and feather disease virus; Windhoek.