FW>I don't know anyone more familiar with poloyoma than you...other than 
ichi
FW>His address is macadoo@mindspring.com
FW>Think of all the other birds at the bird mart that were exposed. Grief...a
FW>major outbreak.
Except that polyoma isn't going to adversely affect adult birds. Just
neonates with immature immune systems. Basically exposing a healthy
adult with an otherwise adequate immune system to polyoma is going to
affect it no differently that if the bird were immunized. It would
simply develop antibodies to the virus showing that it had been
exposed.However, babies at a show is another matter. They are the ones
at risk. I do not take babies with undeveloped immune systems to shows
or sales. I sell out of the nest to brokers or raise them and ship  or
sell locally if possible. I also have been informed of some new research
data that might blow old theories about polyoma out of the water. Do you
by any chance have access to the AAV Journal? I think there might be an
interesting article appear there soon.
BTW, I had an interesting test of how contagious polyoma is  once.
I was raising Macaws and a whole bunch of other stuff, up to about 50
babies of various types at once.
I tested randomly for polyoma and specifically the macaws. Macaws are
particularly susceptible to polyoma,which is a species specific virus
and is more viscious in nature when it jumps species (Like when lovebird
polyoma hits macaws, etc). Anyway the macaws were negative. Never even
been EXPOSED to the virus. Totally clean, Which also translates that
their parents are clean too. Anyway, randomly tested some pet birds, and
a pair of small conures turned up with high titre numbers, highly
positive for the virus. At best this means they have the antibody, have
been exposed. At worst they are carriers of the virus and were shedding.
These conures were pets at the time and were living in the bedroom where
I had the babies. All the while,with me not knowing it, they had high
titres. YET, the babies, macaws included, tested negative for the
polyoma even though less than 10 feet away across the room were these
conures from the babies. Lucky? Definitely. Perhaps polyoma is not as
easily contracted as is often insinuated? Probably. Did I use good clean
technique when handling babies? Yes. I happened to have a bad eye
infection and washed my hands, pulled my long hair back with a rubber
band, either changed shirts, wore a lab coat or pulled a fresh scrub
shirt on over my clothes, and wore latex gloves to handle the babies. I
was a nurse, so it helped. I used Oxyfresh on my hands and Kennelsol to
clean instruments and feeding implements with.
But the point is, unwittingly, there the virus was just across the room
and it didn't cross those few feet! I walked past that cage around the
bed to get to the babies. I think we are going to learn a lot more soon
about polyoma. Don't get me wrong. It is a very serious disease and I
highly respect and hate it.
Well, enough ranting,
Barbara
 * SLMR 2.1a * Famous last words: "Watch me goose that sleeping Dragon!"
--- GEcho 1.00
---------------