I think you all may be getting a little too worried about Polyoma. Unless you are planning on maintaining a large breeding operation, it should not really be of concern. If your budgies are weaned, they are past the danger stage. I have never, in all these years, had another bird get polyoma from my budgies. That includes, at various times over the years, scarlet chested parakeets, gouldians, canaries, cockatiels, lovebirds, cockatoos, and hand feeding amazons and eclectus. I was handfeeding cockatiels, lovebirds and amazons during a French Molt outbreak in my aviary, about 13 years ago, without any involvement with the other birds. However, I do pay a great deal of attention to sanitation and nutrition. I think some of you may be confusing polyoma virus with papovavirus which is of more concern to pet owners. Polyoma virus is probably connected to PBFD, a sort of extremely severe French Molt for lack of a better description, that is a real problem for breeders of Macaws and Cockatoos. Incidentally, the fact that the parrot polyoma virus vaccine does not work on budgies, supports my belief that the virus is species specific. By that I mean that the virus has mutated itself in some way that makes it slightly different for each species and therefore not easily transferred from one species to another.
Polyoma virus in budgies manifests itself as "budgie fledgeling disease." This does not affect the adults but kills the newborns. In a polyoma affected aviary about 20% on infants will be lost. Carriers do not shed the virus at all times so testing is difficult. Probably most budgies do carry it and probably most are immune to the effects due to exposure. However, it will manifest itself in situations of poor nutrition, overbreeding and bad sanitation. Also mixing a large number of budges together that come from different sources seems to activate the virus. Many novices go all around buying birds and then find themselves with a problem when they start breeding. The most common expression of polyomavirus in budgies is French Molt. This is a disease that affects the feather growth of the chicks. Some recover and are perfectly normal and do not produce French Molt. Others never recover. I do not think that budgies affect other birds with it. I have never heard of it. I think the virus must become species specific. When I had French molt, it did not affect any other kind of bird. Almost all budgie breeders encounter French molt at some time.
The preceeding is the property of Rose Lee Begley, please do reproduce without the author's permission.
