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Please find below a statement regarding the current problems encountered in captive peregrines which we would like to circulate to members. Work is currently ongoing and we will endeavor to keep members updated as soon as any new information becomes available.
Best wishes
Richard Jones

Over the last 18months, several vets as well as falconers have become aware of a disease, which seems to be effecting peregrines and peregrine hybrids, both in the UK and central Europe. Birds seem to suffer intermittent but repeated episodes of weight loss, enteritis, loss of condition and increase food requirement. A number of such cases have eventually resulted in the death of the bird.

There does not seem to be any consistently effective therapy for these cases. Few falconers have made laboratory results available or been prepared to pay for advanced tests such as virus isolation.

It is currently speculated that as the disease effects only peregrines, that the underlying cause may well be a species specific virus such as adenovirus, there may then be a secondary bacterial or yeast enteritis.

In any situation such as this, the initial damage may occur weeks or months prior to clinical signs. So tests carried out at the time of illness may be fruitless.

The commonest source of any such infection is an avian derived food supply.

As and when any further information is available, we will make that as widely available as possible.

Neil A Forbes BVetMed vDip ECZM(avian) FRCVS
Richard Jones BVSc MSc MRCVS

Martyn Standley is the new newsletter editor. His e mail address is newsletter@britishfalconersclub.co.uk

Please send your news and reports ASAP.