Santa Clara Valley Canary & Exotic Bird Club
April 8, 1979
Pot-luck: 1:00 P.M.
Meeting: 1:45 P.M.
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN TABLESERVICE
A-G DESSERT
H-P SALAD
Q-Z HOT DISH
A thought for EASTER ---
"Today I will react with love, kindness, and goodwill to everyone
whom I meet and in all situations."
Our annual picnic is scheduled for July 15 at Lakewood Park, Sunnyvale.
Attendance at the Catalogue meeting was very poor, but a lot was accomplished. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact Ralph Barnes.
The Raffle Donors for April are - Mary Volpe, Marie Day, and Vivian Pape.
As long as I "goofed" on the printing of the membership list, I have done it over, and the one included with this letter is the one to keep. May I ask you to please destroy the other one - thank you. C.A.L.
So sorry to hear about the death of Pat O'Donnell's husband recently. Pat is a former active member of our club.
And would you believe that our Elva Lillroth (who so recently underwent surgery on her knee) is now up, around, breeding birds, driving, - and all this in a caste!!! Good luck girl, but be careful!
The program for the April meeting is to be presented by Carol Meaney from San Jose. She is a representative from the WILDLIFE RESCUE ASSOCIATION. Her experiences in raising and/or saving over 500 birds in the last four years should be inspiring.
Glenn Mitchell will be giving us a complete explanation of Psittacosis. He will also answer questions.
Ruth's statement at the last meeting that there was an outbreak of VVND in San Francisco was wrong - as we later discovered - it was Psittacosis!
The next Executive Board meeting will be held at the home of Bill Cooper and Mel Culross on April 20.
Just heard that Fred Winn spent part of the month in the hospital, but is now at home. Take it easy, sir, we don't need any repeat performances!
FOR SALE: Button Doves and pair cutthroat Finches or trade for Cockatiel. Phone Mary Volpe.
And a Happy Easter to you
Charlotte A. Le Doux
Psittacosis is a contagious disease carried mainly by any of the psittacine birds. It was probably given the "Parrot Fever" by some layman who was unable to pronounce the correct name, and sermized that because it occurred so frequently in parrots that those were the only types of birds infected. Psittacosis has been known to occur in other birds, but here is known as avicosis. Human beings can get this disease by handling any infected bird, but the average bird keeper is not likely to contract it.
Psittacosis is caused by a virus. The symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, chills, and high fever, fast breathing, and accompaning thirst. The droppings are at first yellow, then become green and bloody.
Dr. Cooper (D.V.M. from California Department of Food and Agriculture) calls psittacosis an "infectious bactereal disease." The minute germ involved is called clamidia.
Psittacosis can be cured!!!! The medication is TETRACYCLIN, and is administered as a powder in the birds food or as a liquid in his water.
The FIRST STEP - if you do suspect Psittacosis is to isolate the infected bird - then get a blood sample to an educated veterinarian immediately. If this is not possible, cover the enter bird and cage completely and take it to the vets office.
The United States Department of Agriculture, which succeeded in eradicating an outbreak of Exotic Newcastle disease in aviaries on the east and west coasts, has issued warning reminders to bird dealers to maintain vigilance in guarding livestock against the birds viral infection which attacks insidiously and extremely swiftly. According to the departmen's Animal and Plan Health Inspection Service (APHIS) the virus is highly contagious and usually lethal. In commercial poultry death losses can approach 100 per cent. Newcastle is a generic term used for several virulent diseases found only in birds and neither meat nor exposure to the infected birds have any known effects on human beings, although they can carry the disease on their person or clothes to another bird.
It is particularly difficult to detect in some bird species, such as certain members of the parrot family, who may not display visible symptoms of the disease's presence. However, these same birds could be highly effective carriers and produce and spread the virus to susceptible birds and poultry. The virus causes bleeding in the intestines and reproductive organs, along with severe diarrhea. It kills many of the birds it infects. There are different forms of VVND ranging from mild to highly virulent. The milder forms are being controlled with vaccines. In laboratory experiments, some parrots have lived with the disease for more than a year. It apparently lives in the wild with these birds and causes no problems until they are caught and confined.
The 1977 outbreak of Newcastle, which took a toll of over 7,000 birds in aviaries and pet shops across the country, is believed to have started with some infected imported exotic birds smuggled into the country around Miami, Florida, and moved into commercial markets without inspection or quarantine as required by law.
Here are tips from APHIS on how "bird people" can keep VVND out of their premises:
In event of sickness or death, notify regional USDA or AFA representative. As a recommendation do not admit any members of the Press or other media to your premises (when supposedly investigating for VVND.) Meet them outside as they may have been to a contaminated area before visiting your place. Above all, cooperate with the media - it's important that the public be aware of how our tax dollars are being spent.
The cause of this latest Newcastle problem was the bird smuggler and the unscrupulous bird dealer. Once again, one-tenth of one percent are the ones who create the problems for all the other legitimate people in the "Bird Business World".....