PARROT MORTALITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 951, 19 April 1930, Page 8

PARROT MORTALITY

SOME SURVIVING BIRDS ROUND AUCKLAND AUSTRALIA ISSUES BAN Special to THE SUN WELLINGTON, Today. ' Forty-one of the 74 parrots brought to New Zealand In January which have shown such heavy mortality have been traced by the Health Department to date and all are dead stated Dr. T. McKibbin, Director of Public Hygiene, today. In addition, it is suspected that at least eight other parrots, and possibly a considerably higher number, died while still in the possession of Mr White, and before they had been handled by the general public. i a view of the fact that the last of the 2S parrots known to have been sent to Christchurch died just three weeks ago it is believed that we are now at the maximum period of i cubation of the disease, and that unless cases ol the dreaded parrot fever make an immediate appearance the danger may be said to have materially decreased! The dead parrots include nine birds which died in Wanganui, two in Hamilton and two in Wellington. The Wanganui batch originally consisted of 12 birds, but two were sent back to Auckland and remain so far untraced. In all, it is beiieved that 2f> birds were disposed in and about Auckland, but- so far their whereabouts are a mystery. Thus it appears that what danger there is menaces the Northern city most severely. Forty-five parrots are known to have arrived in Hamilton and 42 to have left again for Wellington and investigations show traces of only St birds having reached the capital city. In view of the heavy mortality among the birds in Christchurch (it; died upon the dealers’ hands! it is believed that these missing eight may have fallen victims to illness on the way down the line. There are known to be live birds still in the country, but all these are about Auckland, which may constitute an additional menace to the North. All sick parrots which have been traced have now been got rid of. or died. There remains the risk of infection of parrot fever from these birds. The incubation period of psittacosis is more or less unknown-* it took many years to establish tho incubation periods of other diseases —but is given as “roughly nine days.” However, there have been cases of mortality within nine days, so that it is suspected by the health authorities that the incubation period may range as high as that of enteric fever, mumps or whooping cough, which have the maximum incubation period of three weeks. It is a significant fact, however, that in cases where these diseases are developed, after the full period of incubation they are of a milder type. Therefore, if any cases of psittacosis make their appearance in areas where parrots are known to have died, it is to be expected that they will not be so violent as those which have occurred at Home. Evidence of the fact that alarm is spreading is contained in the fact that cables have been arriving from the Australian health authorities notifying a ban on parrots, and inquiring into the circumstances of the shipment of 74 parrots which arrived here on tho Ulimaroa. AUSTRALIA FEARS DISEASF United I’.A. — Bit Telegraph—Copyright CANBERRA, Friday. Owing to the danger of introducing psittacosis into Australia, the importation into the Commonwealth of parrots from South America has been prohibited.