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5 April 2019 NOVEL POXVIRAL INFECTION IN THREE FINCH SPECIES ILLEGALLY IMPORTED INTO TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES, WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIVE BIRDS
Rod B. Suepaul, Janine F.R. Seetahal, Christopher Oura, Lana Gyan, Varsha V. Ramoutar, Vernie Ramkissoon, Nikita Sahadeo, Christine V.F. Carrington
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Abstract

Oryzoborus angolensis (Lesser Seed-Finch), Oryzoborus crassirostris (Large-billed Seed-Finch), and Sporophila intermedia (Grey Seedeater) are finch species native to the Caribbean island of Trinidad. These species are locally trapped and kept for their song, but with declining native populations, enthusiasts have turned to illegally importing birds from the South American mainland. The smuggling of wild birds from South America poses significant disease risks to the native bird species of Trinidad. Herein we describe the first case of poxviral infection in these illegally imported birds in Trinidad and partial genome sequence of the causative agent. Phylogenetic analysis of the 4b core protein sequence indicated that the avian poxvirus identified was most closely related to a 2012 avian pox sequence from Brazil, with 96.2% and 98.1% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid level.

Copyright 2019 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Rod B. Suepaul, Janine F.R. Seetahal, Christopher Oura, Lana Gyan, Varsha V. Ramoutar, Vernie Ramkissoon, Nikita Sahadeo, and Christine V.F. Carrington "NOVEL POXVIRAL INFECTION IN THREE FINCH SPECIES ILLEGALLY IMPORTED INTO TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES, WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIVE BIRDS," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 50(1), 231-237, (5 April 2019). https://doi.org/10.1638/2018-0001
Accepted: 22 October 2018; Published: 5 April 2019
KEYWORDS
4b core protein
finches
poxvirus
sequence analysis
Trinidad
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