Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds
Edited by: Carter T. Atkinson, PhD; Nancy J. Thomas, DVM, MS, DACVP; D. Bruce Hunter, DVM, MSc

Guest Review by Ned Gentz, MS, DVM, DACZM, Albuquerque Biological Park, Albuquerque, NM Star
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The original Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds was originally published in 1971 and was only a mere 344 pages long. When this book’s update was being planned, it was decided that infectious diseases and parasitic diseases of wild birds both merited their own books. Infectious Diseases of Wild Birds was published in 2007. With the publication of this new volume, the update of the entire original series (including infectious, parasitic, and noninfectious diseases of wild mammals) is complete. 

The parasitic disease section of the original 1971 text only contained eight chapters and a scant 141 pages. This new edition contains nearly 600 pages and 32 chapters. The book is divided into five sections. Section I contains an introductory chapter on parasitism: costs and effects and is a very nice introduction to the subject matter. Section II covers protozoa and contains ten chapters. Section III covers helminths and contains 16 chapters. Section IV contains a single chapter on leeches while Section V covers arthropods and contains four chapters.

The book is organized so that all the chapters pretty much cover all the same topics, a system I always enjoy.  These topics include: history, distribution, host range, etiology, epizootiology, clinical signs, pathogenesis/pathology, diagnosis, immunity, public health concerns, domestic animal health concerns, wildlife population impacts, treatment/control, and management implications.

The text is better supplemented in some chapters than in others. Distribution maps, when included, are always appreciated, the same with photographs of gross lesions. Photographs and microphotographs of the parasites themselves are more common. Another common technique in many chapters that works very well is the use of hand-drawn diagrams interpreting microscopic structures in the microphotographs. However, a few of the hand-drawn diagrams are surprisingly crudely drawn. Overall this very reasonably-priced book is quite well-done. I recommend this book to any veterinarian working with wild birds or wild-caught birds including zoo specimens or veterinary students with an interest in such matters. Wildlife biologists, wildlife rehabilitators and wildlife centers should also find this book useful. University parasitologists should also find an interest in this new offering. 

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing (2009).

595 pages.

 ISBN: 9780813820811.


Table of Contents
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Introduction
Alternative Medicine
Anatomy
Anesthesia/Analgesia
Animal Welfare
Aquatic/Fish
Avian
Behavior
Camelids
Canine
Cardiology
Client Education
Cytology / Hematology / Histology
Dental
Dermatology
Dictionary/Reference
Drugs/Pharmacology
Emergency Med
Endocrine
Epidemiology
Equine
Ethics
Exotics
Feline
Food Animals/Livestock
General
Genetics
Geriatrics
Handling & Restraint
Human-Animal Bond
Imaging & Radiology
Immunology
Infectious Diseases
Internal Medicine
Laboratory Medicine
Microbiology
Multimedia
Neurology
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Parasitology
 
* Georgi Parasitology 9th Ed. (VSPN Review)
 
Anthology of Biosafety VI (VSPN Review)
 
Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Public Health (VSPN)
 
Arthropod Disease Dog Cat
 
Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases and Parasitology, 2nd Ed.
 
Diagnostic Parasitology for Veterinary Technicians, 4th Ed
 
Eco. Marine Parasite 2nd Ed. (VSPN Review)
 
Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology
 
Feline Parasitology
 
Fish Disease 1 2nd Ed. (VSPN Review)
 
Flynn's Parasite Lab. Anim. 2nd Ed.
 
Hemoparasites of the Reptilia-Color Atlas & Text (VSPN)
 
Molecular Detection of Human Parasitic Pathogens (VSPN Review)
 
Nematode Parasites 2nd Ed. (VSPN Review)
 
You are hereParasitic Disease Wild Bird
 
Pathology and Parasitology for Vet Techs
 
Vet. Guide Parasites 2
 
Vet. Parasitology Ref. 5th Ed.
 
Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, 8th Ed ( VSPN Review)
 
Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, 8th Ed.
 
Veterinary Ectoparasites 2nd Ed.
 
Veterinary Parasitology, 4th Ed
 
WHO/FAO/OIE Guidelines for the Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Taeniosis/Cysticerosis (VSPN)
 
* Canine Parasitology
 
* Parasit. Wild Mammal 2nd Ed.
 
* Parasitology Dogs & Cats
 
* Vet. Clinical Parasitology 7th Ed.
 
* Vet. Parasitology PVS
Pathology
Pediatrics
Physiology
Physiotherapy
Practice Management
Primates
Rabbits, Rodents & Ferrets
Reproduction
Reptile/Amphibian
Research
Respiratory
Ruminants
Sheep/Goats
Shelter Medicine
Surgery
Swine
Technicians
Toxicology
Urology/Renal
Veterinary Education
Wildlife-Zoo Animals
Zoonoses

Date Published: April 13, 2009

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