Veterinary Services

Four greenfinches (Carduelis chloris) and a chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) were submitted from a garden in which wild birds were being fed.  All birds had lesions typical of salmonellosis, and Salmonella Typhimurium DT56 variant was subsequently isolated.  The same phage type was responsible for deaths in this garden in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in 2001, greenfinches in 2002 and chaffinches in 2004.

S. Typhimurium DT56 variant was also recovered from the carcasses of greenfinches and chaffinches that had been found dead around the bird feeding area of a wildlife park, highlighting the potential for the spread of disease from wild birds to captive birds and animals.