A SURVEY FOR SELECTED VIRAL, CHLAMYDIAL, AND PARASITIC DISEASES IN WILD DUSKY-HEADED PARAKEETS (ARATINGA-WEDDELLII) AND TUI PARAKEETS (BROTOGERIS-SANCTITHOMAE) IN PERU

Thirty-eight free-ranging dusky-headed parakeets (Aratinga weddellii) and 13 tui parakeets (Brotogeris sanctithomae) were caught and release d in Parque Nacional del Manu in southeastern Peru from 19 July to 5 A ugust 1993. Blood and fecal samples were collected and sera were evalu ated for titers to Pacheco's disease herpesvirus, psittacine polyomavi rus, paramyxovirus-l, and Chlamydia psittaci. Fecal samples were exami ned for evidence of ascarid or coccidial infection by fecal flotation, and blood smears were examined for hemoparasites. Five (50%) of 10 A. weddellii serum samples tested by complement fixation (CF) for psitta cine polyomavirus antibodies were positive, and three (19%) of 16 A. w eddellii samples tested by virus neutralization (VN) for psittacine po lyomavirus antibodies were positive, yielding a total of 8 (38%) of th e 21 A. weddellii samples positive for psittacine polyomavirus. Based on CF for herpesvirus, four (11%) of 38 A. weddellii samples had antib odies against herpesvirus. All B. sanctithomae were negative for psitt acine polyomavirus and psittacine herpesvirus. Thirty-five of the A. w eddellii tested were negative for Chlamydia psittaci by CF, latex aggl utination, and elementary body agglutination, and all B. sanctithomae were negative for Chlamydia psittaci by the CF test. Nine A. weddellii and eight B. sanctithomae evaluated for paramyxovirus-1 titers by the hemagglutination inhibition test were negative. All fecal samples wer e negative for ascarids or coccidia by fecal notation, and all blood s mears were negative for hemoparasites by direct microscopic examinatio n. This is the first known description of psittacine polyomavirus and psittacine herpesvirus in free-ranging parrots. Serologic evidence of Pacheco's disease herpesvirus in wild A. weddellii is interesting in l ight of the fact that Aratinga spp. are considered to be possible carr iers of this virus in captivity.