A serologic survey for avian polyomavirus and Pacheco's disease virus in Australian cockatoos.

Sera collected from wild and captive Australian cockatoos and other psittacine species (n = 411) were tested for antibodies to avian polyomavirus (APV) and Pacheco's disease virus (PDV). Of 144 wild sulphur‐crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) sampled at three regions in New South Wales (NSW) 96 (64.4%) birds had positive (≥ 1:32) neutralizing antibody titres to avian polyomavirus (range 1:32–1:2048). Two of 17 wild long‐billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) were also APV‐antibody positive. However, no samples from 107 wild galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) were positive for neutralizing antibody to APV. Sera were also collected from captive psittacine bird flocks from NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. In a mixed aviary of cockatoos and lorikeets, APV antibody was detected in sera from sulphur‐crested cockatoos, Major Mitchell's cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri), a white‐tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii latirostris), a red‐tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus magnificus) a sing...