Hello everyone!

[Wolf]

Great, that is absolutely wonderful.

[Pajarita]

I am not arguing that the wild rosellas are carriers but no wild rosella has come into the States since 1992 and it's HIGHLY doubtful the disease is still been carried by the domestic-bred ones after 23 years for the simple reason that breeding parrots are stressed out and depleted early so any of the ones carrying the disease would have succumbed to it long ago. Besides, if this was a problem common to captive-bred rosellas, we would have heard about it long ago...

[Wolf]

Don't know, the article leads one to believe that this is genetic. I am still on the look out for more information in regards to this, But if I am going to err I hope to err on the side of caution as the consequences are too high.

[Fidget]

Wolf,

Do you have acess to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science articles, either through a subscription or through a subscription through work/a local library/univeristy? That's where the peer reviewed paper that "article" refers to is published.

Here's a link to the abstract: http://m.pnas.org/content/111/39/14153.abstract

This paper absolutely does not say the virus is incorporated into the genome of the rosellas and exhibits in the feathers. Which is what that "article" makes it sound like. The birds are not the virus, they just have the virus; some die, some survive. They catch it just like any other bird would, through the normal transmission route dander etc. This 8 year research shows that non hybrid Rosellas carry high viral loads and that the virus acts as selection pressure for speciation (or at least hybridization) of that particular ring complex of birds. Some people can carry high loads of various pathogens, and shed them and expose other humans without showing clinical signs. That's where my complaint about science communication arose, "they" (poor journalist/non-science people writing about science...) will often interpret things wrong, or in a way that will draw the most attention.

I'll see what I can do about uploading a pdf copy of the actual research article being referenced. I can't link to the full text bc it requires a subscription.... Maybe I'll print it and scan it then link it...

As for if US bred rosellas are high load carriers like their Australian relatives.... I'm not well versed in the importation and control of disease in breeding birds, so I can't agree/disagree with anyone on this.

[Wolf]

No, I can't download the full abstract either it is beyond my subscription status.

[Fidget]

Bummer! I'll head to the library tomorrow or Monday and see what i can do.