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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #200: Avian Mycobacteriosis

Bird veterinary case - Hard - September 19, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A companion bird is evaluated for chronic weight loss, intermittent diarrhoea, and declining activity.
  2. The owner says the bird still pecks at food but continues to waste away.
  3. On examination the bird is emaciated with a poor keel score and mild hepatomegaly.
  4. The illness has been slowly progressive over many weeks.
  5. Diagnostics support infection with acid-fast organisms consistent with avian mycobacterial disease.
  6. This chronic granulomatous infection in birds often causes wasting and multisystem disease.

Diagnosis

Avian Mycobacteriosis

This case is most consistent with Avian Mycobacteriosis because the bird has chronic wasting disease with compatible multisystem findings and acid-fast organisms. The most important clues are the prolonged course and severe loss of body condition, which make a simple dietary problem less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this bird case supports the provided diagnosis, Avian Mycobacteriosis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A companion bird is evaluated for chronic weight loss, intermittent diarrhoea, and declining activity.
  2. Clue 2: The owner says the bird still pecks at food but continues to waste away.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: On examination the bird is emaciated with a poor keel score and mild hepatomegaly.
  2. Clue 4: The illness has been slowly progressive over many weeks.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Diagnostics support infection with acid-fast organisms consistent with avian mycobacterial disease.
  2. Clue 6: This chronic granulomatous infection in birds often causes wasting and multisystem disease.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this bird case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Avian Mycobacteriosis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Avian Mycobacteriosis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.