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The Red and Black • Thursday, April 5, 1990 • 5
Researchers waiting in the wings to cure AIDS virus of the bird world
By ANNE-MARIE FANGUY
Staff Writer
University researchers respon
sible for discovering a deadly bird
virus are being forced to put fur
ther research for a vaccine on hold
until they receive more funding.
The team has already isolated
and characterized some of the basic
roteinB in the virus, which are the
rst steps toward a vaccine, said
Buddy stefTenB, team member and
assistant research scientist in
anatomy and radiology.
“We’re leagues ahead of our com
petitors in the United States and in
other parts of the World,” he said
Funded by $50,000 from individ
uals and bird interest groups in
cluding the Smoky Mountain
Caged Bird Club, Bird Clubs of Vir
ginia and the Miami Parrot Club,
the research team worked for two
years to discover the virus, which
affects psittacine, or curve-beaked,
birds, such as love birds, parrots
and cockatoos, Steffens said.
The virus attacks the immune
system of the birds and causes psit
tacine beak and feather disease, or
PBFD.
Phil Lukert, professor of medical
microbiology, said birds infected
with PBFD lose their feathers or
grow deformed ones. The bird be
comes naked and in later stages its
beak dries out and can eventually
fall off, he said.
“A lot of research will have to be
put on hold, I’m afraid, until we get
more stable funding,” Steffens
said.
He said state funding available
for veterinary medicine research
usually goes for Work on cats and
dogs.
Getting funding for exotic birds
in a state dominated by the poultry
industry proves to be another
obstacle, Steffens said. Because
some diseases in exotic birds can
spread to poultry, the industry
seems prejudiced against the birds.
Steffens said PBFD surfaced
about 1979 but that its cause was
unknown until University re
searchers isolated the virus this
year. First seen in birds from Aus
tralia and Africa, the disease is
now infecting birdB all over the
world.
It Bpread when people began im
porting birds and raising them in
aviaries, exposing healthy birdB to
PBFD, he said.
Lukert said they can now do di
agnostic teBtB for the virus by
taking a feather or blood sample
from a lesion on the bird.
Lukert said infected birds may
not show signs of PBFD for years
He compared the virus to Aquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome be
cause it destoryB birds’ immune
systems, but he said the virus af
fects a different set of immune cells
than AIDS.
Branson Ritchie, coordinator of
the research team, advises bird col
lectors and veterinarians to isolate
diseased birds from young or birds
and endangered bird species that
could become infected.
Ritchie said the team will re-
Funded by $50,000
from individuals and
bird interest groups,
the research team
worked for two years to
discover the virus.
sume their work as soon as they
get funding.
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Law caps donations
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — A law limiting
contributions candidates can ac
cept from individuals, businesses
and political action committees is
now on the books in Georgia, and
most candidates say they'll follow
it —even though it can’t be en
forced until cleared by federal
lawyers.
Gov. Joe Frank Harris signed
the measure Wednesday during a
regularly scheduled news confer
ence. He said it would be “good
for the (political) process” by
eliminating “a perceived problem
of large contributors controlling a
campaign.”
The measure limits contribu
tions from each single source to
$3,500 per election, or as much as
$10,500 if a candidate faces a pri
mary, primary runoff and gen
eral election campaign.
Many of the major candidates
in this year’s gubernatorial con
test —including Democrats Zell
Miller, Roy Barnes and Lauren
"Bubba” McDonald, and Repub
lican Johnny Isakson — have
said they will comply voluntarily
with the law’s provisions.
The major noldout is former
Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young,
who has said he will not comply
until the law has been approved
by the justice department.
In another campaign financing
development Wednesday, GOP
candidate Isakson filed an up
dated financial disclosure report
showing contributions he re
ceived through Tuesday, and
challenged other candidates to do
the same.
Isakson said the step was an
effort to establish “a clear line of
demarcation” between contribu
tions candidates accepted before
the new law was signed and
those they accept afterwards.
Candidates currently are re
quired to file periodic reports of
campaign receipts and expendi
tures, but the last required re
port was due in January and the
next isn’t due until June 2.
University of Georgia
Block and Bridle Club and Dodge Trucks
presents the
16 th Annual
Great Southland Stampede
April 12,13, and 14th
8:00 p.m. - UGA Coliseum
Tickets will be on sale beginning April 2 at the
Coliseum or call 542-9374 to order by phone.
Advanced Tickets $5.00 General Adrn. $7.00
Reserved Seats $10.00
Tickets are an additional $1.00 at the door
Tennis • Aerobics • Running • Cycling • Swimming
Come Cool Off With Our
Fresh Spring Fashions and Footwear
EVERYTHING at least 20% OFF reg. price
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Selected Running Apparel 1/2 Price
Selected Shoes 40%-70% OFF
Tennis Raquets 20%-70% OF.
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Beechwood Shopping Center
Out of NATO, Mattingly may run for senate
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Former U.S. Sen.
Mack Mattingly, who spent three
years abroad on the NATO staff
following his re-election defeat in
1986, iB back in Georgia cam
paigning for Republican candi
dates and iB not discouraging talk
that he will try to return to the
Senate in 1992.
Mattingly, in Atlanta
Wednesday to serve as honorary
chairman of a fund-raising event
for 4th District Republican con
gressional candidate John Linder,
returned to Georgia March 11
when his three-year NATO ap
pointment expired.
He said he’s barely had time to
eettle in at his St. Simons Island
home and hasn’t decided what oc
cupation to pursue, but intends "to
use whatever free time I’ve got” to
campaign for Georgia GOP candi
dates.
Wednesday’s fund-raiser for
Linder, who is running for the seat
formerly held by Republican Pat
Swindall but now occupied by
Democrat Ben Jones, featured an
appearance by Vice President Dan
Quayle.
Mattingly, a former chairman of
the Georgia Republican Party,
Btaged a stunning defeat of then-
Sen. Herman Talmadge in 1980 to
become Georgia’s first Republican
senator since the Reconstruction
era.
In turn, Mattingly was defeated
six years later by the present sen
ator, Democrat Wyche Fowler.
As he left office, Mattingly won
an appointment from then-Presi-
dent Reagan as assistant secre
tary-general for defense at NATO
headquarters in Belgium.
Mattingly said he’s had a full
schedule of political events since
his return to Georgia last month,
including events for Matt Towery,
a GOP candidate for lieutenant
governor, and an upcoming fund
raiser for Republican gubernato
rial candidate Johnny Isakson.
“I think we have excellent candi
dates and a good opportunity for
Republicans to win governor, lieu
tenant governor, insurance com
missioner and other statewide and
congressional district seats,” Mat
tingly said.
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OPENS FRIDAY, APRIL 6™
AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU.
presents
Thursday 5th, Friday 6th, Saturday 7th
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Every Monday Night
Athens Finest Ladiesi
Dance For You... on the
dance floor or AT YOUR TABLE
Tues. April 10th
One Night Only!
THE PLATTERS
Advance Tickets Available at
Thomason's or Barnett's Newstand
