Reece R L, Hooper P T
Aust Vet J. 1984 Aug;61(8):259-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1984.tb15537.x.
Utility pigeons on 3 farms were affected by a severe neurological disturbance manifested by fine tremors, rolling gait and incoordination. Affected birds had necrosis of the Purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex. The birds from the 3 farms had been fed a pelleted diet obtained from a single mix of feed prepared by a stockfeed manufacturer. When feed obtained from the farms was given to utility pigeons under controlled conditions at the laboratory, they suffered the same clinical signs and lesions as seen in birds from the farms. Cross-bred cockerels were not affected when given this feed from day-old to 6 weeks of age. Samples of the feed contained 185 to 226 ppm of the coccidiostat dinitolmide. Utility pigeons given a prepared diet containing a similar level (234 ppm) of dinitolmide developed an identical condition after 3 to 4 weeks feeding. Laying hens were not affected by this feed. Dimetridazole, which was also present in some of the original feed samples, did not exacerbate the condition when included in the diet at a rate of 233 ppm. Production of squabs from the affected farms was dramatically reduced, and many of the breeder had to be culled because of the long-standing neurological disease.
3个农场的信鸽受到一种严重神经紊乱的影响，表现为细微震颤、摇晃步态和共济失调。患病鸟类小脑皮质的浦肯野细胞出现坏死。这3个农场的鸟类食用的是由一家饲料制造商配制的单一混合饲料制成的颗粒饲料。当将从这些农场获取的饲料在实验室的可控条件下喂给信鸽时，它们出现了与农场鸟类相同的临床症状和病变。从雏鸡到6周龄一直喂食这种饲料的杂交公鸡未受影响。饲料样本中含有185至226 ppm的抗球虫药二硝托胺。喂食含有相似水平（234 ppm）二硝托胺的配制饲料3至4周后，信鸽出现了相同的病症。产蛋母鸡未受这种饲料的影响。一些原始饲料样本中也含有的二甲硝唑，以233 ppm的比例添加到饲料中时，并未加剧病情。受影响农场的乳鸽产量大幅下降，许多种鸽因长期的神经疾病不得不被淘汰。
