Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), is a highly contagious viral infection. Newborn chicks are at the greatest risk for getting this disease if they are exposed to it.
Newly purchased birds should always be tested for PBFD prior to place them with other birds.
PBFD results in abnormal feather development and beak growth. The blood feathers are frequently blunted or may have constrictions in the shaft; these feathers will be abnormal once they reach maturity and will have areas of hemorrhage in the shaft. As the disease progresses, these birds become featherless in various degrees. The beaks of affected birds will get misformed in a late stage of this terrible disease.
Besides this, the virus also causes immunosuppresion, which in turn makes the bird very susceptible to other viral, fungal and bacterial infections. In most cases the virus eventually results in the death of the bird. Some species such as Lovebirds seem more resistant to the disease. The virus is present in the feather dust and other excretions and this is what makes the disease so very contagious. There is no treatment so far for this disease: Infected birds will eventually die. For more and very clear info go to Ellen and her parrots.
Feathers will usually look like this:

    

     Pacheco's Disease is another highly contagious and highly fatal disease. Pacheco's disease is caused by a herpes virus and causes acute liver failure and death. It is very often seen that birds were normal the day before and that they were either found very weak or dead, the next day. Currently there is not an accurate test available to check birds on pacheco's disease.

     Polyoma Virus. This virus is not particularly deadly in adult birds. It is recommended that you test all your newly purchased birds, tests on this virus are accurate. In adult birds the disease often causes liver disease which may lead quickly to death, although in many cases the infection may only cause moderate illness. The signs include depression, anorexia, delayed crop emptying, regurgitation, weight loss, and diarrhea.

     Psittacine Wasting Disease (Macaw wasting disease, proventricular dilation syndrome) is mostly seen in the large Macaws, the first symptoms are vomiting or regurgitation and passage of undigested seed or other food. This disease was thought to affect only the proventricular (the path between the crop and the stomach) which caused a failure of the digestive system. The victim could not digest the food eaten and would eventually starve to death. Recent studies have concluded that it affects nerve endings to all of the major organs. This might cause seizures, tremors, paralysis, and heart failure. It is possible for an individual to carry this disease for years showing no clinical signs, and, then, to die suddenly, or pass it to others, when under stressful conditions.Even with extensive supportive care almost all affected birds will die from this disease. Very little to nothing is known about incubation-period and how this disease spreads.
 

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