Novel avian bornavirus in a nonpsittacine species (canary; Serinus canaria) with enteric ganglioneuritis and encephalitis

A canary bird (Serinus canaria) died with nonsuppurative ganglioneuritis of the proventriculus and gizzard and encephalitis, lesions comparable to proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) of psittacine birds. Recently, several genotypes of a novel avian bornavirus have been linked to PDD. In the canary, bornaviral antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in both neural and extraneural tissues. The widespread viral dissemination was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR. Sequence analysis revealed a unique genotype of avian bornavirus. This observation suggests that bornaviruses are natural pathogens of several avian species and that the family Bornaviridae comprises more viral genotypes (or viral species) than previously assumed.