| During its life cycle, Y. pestis colonizes the flea midgut and can form a biofilm in the proventricular valve in the foregut. |
| Necropsy and histopathology results indicated that all birds in group 2 had pathologic evidence of proventricular dilatation disease. |
| Radiologic and ultrasonographic examination revealed a mild proventricular dilatation, mild hepatomegaly, signs of enteritis, and airsacculitis. |
| Proventricular dilatation disease is a significant cause of disease-related fatalities among birds, primarily psittacines. |
| Seven birds had proventricular megabacteriosis, and 1 of those cockatiels also had intraluminal gastric yeast and ingluvial yeast with pseudohyphae. |
| To determine which of these could potentially participate in proventricular biofilm formation in the flea, we began by evaluating the effect each of these genes had on in vitro biofilm formation. |
