French molt disease

Nasih hamad Ali

College of veterinary medicine
University of Sulaimani
 definition
• French molt is an important disease that primarily affects budgerigars and other
psittacines characterized by abnormal feathering, causes an acute, highly fatal disease
in budgerigar fledglings as well as peracute, acute, or chronic infections of many other
species of psittacine birds.

• French molt causes feather dystrophy in young psittacine birds primary budgerigars.
Clinical changes include premature molting of the wing and tail feathers and associated
hemorrhage and poor plumage.

• Affected birds are termed runners because they are usually incapable of flying.
•  There are two primary forms of the disease based on species affected budgerigar
fledgling disease and a nonbudgerigar polyoma infection.
• It is rare in African grey parrots, cockatoos and cockatiels. Passeriformes.
 Etiology
• Polyomavirus is a member of papovavirus family.
• Double stranded circular DNA
 Transmission
1. Virus shed in feces, crop secretion, skin and feather dander and
occur through direct or indirect contact with contaminated feather
or fecal dust.( horizontal transmission).

• Substantial evidence exists that the virus is egg- transmitted(vertical

transmission) but not yet adequately proven.
 Clinical signs
1- Acute fatal infections usually occur in fledglings Budgerigars from 1 to 15
days of age and death within 24–48 hr ( sudden death).
2- Abdominal distention and subcutaneous hemorrhages.
3- Some birds develop neurologic signs with ataxia and tremors of the head
and neck several days before death.
4 - birds that develop clinical signs may survive and develop feather
abnormalities ( French molt). feather dysplasia which may resolve after several
months, Primary and secondary feathers on the wings and tail are lost and
bleeding from feather follicles.
5- In Nonbudgerigar Psittacine Birds most infections are subclinical,
depression, anorexia, weight loss and diarrhea are present.
 Clinical Signs..
6 - Lack of feather on the back, abdomen, head and neck.

7 - Slow development of tail and wing feathers may occur in less

severely affected chicks. In these chicks the primary wing feathers and
tail feathers are either entirely absent or have thick sheath with
hemorrhage inside the shaft.
8 - In addition to the peracute and acute forms chronic disease has been
described and is typified by weight loss, polyuria, poor feather formation.
9 - pale skeletal musculature and subcutaneous ecchymotic
hemorrhages.
 Gross lesions:
1. Hydropericardium
2. Enlarged spleen
3. Cardiomegaly
4. Enlarged liver with multifocal necrosis.
5. Swollen congested kidneys
6. Subcutaneous and subserosal hemorrhage.
7. Ascites in seven to fifteen day old chicks.
8. generalised pallor (muscles may appear an orange colour) and
petechial haemorrhages.
Gross lesion associated with polyomavirus
 Histopathological changes
• In parrots, basophilic intranuclear inclusions can be found in the
spleen, in mesangial cells in the kidneys.

• In budgerigars inclusions can be found in most organs including the

cerebellum, renal tubules, splenocytes and hepatocytes. The most
prominent are often found in the feather follicles and growing
feathers.
• Massive hepatocellular necrosis.
 Diagnosis
1. Clinical signs
2. Gross lesion
3. Histopathological changes
4. Isolation and identification
A - Isolation
B - Identification of virus in tissues using electron microscope
or RCR
 Differential diagnosis
a) Psittacine beak and feather disease.
b) Feather damaging behaviour.
 Treatment and prevention
• There is on treatment
• Good management and hygiene
• Disinfectant effective against polyomavirus.
• Vaccination