May 07, 2026

Feather bulb collection from avian bird species for molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases V.1

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.n92ld4k8xl5b/v1
  • 1Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand;
  • 2Animal Allergy and Infectious Diseases Unit, S Biotec Co., Ltd., Pathum Thani, Thailand;
  • 3PM VetCare, Peter Mediphar Co., Ltd., Pathum Thani, Thailand;
  • 4Smart Science Co., Ltd., Pathum Thani, Thailand
  • Virology
Naluepanat Yodjan
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.n92ld4k8xl5b/v1
Protocol Citation: Naluepanat Yodjan, Suphawat Wongwatthanacharat 2026. Feather bulb collection from avian bird species for molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.n92ld4k8xl5b/v1Version created by Naluepanat Yodjan
License: This is an open access  protocol  distributed under the terms of the  Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: May 06, 2026
Last Modified: May 07, 2026
Protocol  Integer ID: 316411
Keywords: Feather, Sample, Collection, Avian, Bird, Feather bulb, infectious disease, diagnosis, psittacine beak and feather disease, PBFD, avian polyomavirus, bornavirus, molecular, detection, feather bulb collection from avian bird species, feather disease virus, feather bulb specimen, avian bird species for the diagnosis, collection of feather bulb sample, several avian pathogen, feather bulb sample, other infectious agents of bird, avian bird species, avian polyomavirus, molecular diagnostics of infectious disease, avian bornavirus, feather, poultry, bird, bulb collection, infectious disease, suitable for molecular detection, including psittacine beak, other infectious agent, molecular diagnostic, molecular detection, psittacine beak
Abstract
This protocol describes the collection of feather bulb samples from avian bird species for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Feather bulb specimens are suitable for molecular detection of several avian pathogens, including psittacine beak and feather disease virus, avian polyomavirus, avian bornavirus, and other infectious agents of birds and poultry that can be detected in feather-derived samples.
Safety warnings
Ethics statement

The protocol requires prior approval from the user’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Biosafety and Biosecurity, or other relevant ethics committee, as applicable.
Before start
Ethics statement

The protocol requires prior approval from the user’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Biosafety and Biosecurity, or other relevant ethics committee, as applicable.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before taking any feather samples, make sure that your hands are clean. If you are collecting samples from multiple birds, wash or sanitise your hands between each collection.
Five to ten feathers containing cellular material should be plucked, such as pin feathers, primary feathers, secondary feathers, greater coverts (Figure 1 and 2), or tail feathers. Each feather should be removed together with an intact feather bulb to ensure sufficient cellular material for laboratory diagnosis.

Figure 1. Anatomical locations of wing feathers suitable for sample collection.


Figure 2. Collecting feather samples

The plucked feathers should be placed in a clean, sealed plastic bag and clearly labelled with the avian species, name or identification number, and date of sample collection.
Specimens should be delivered to the laboratory within 2–3 days after collection.
If extended storage is required before laboratory submission, the plucked feathers should be air-dried in a clean, contamination-free area, placed in a sealed plastic bag, and delivered to the laboratory within 2 weeks after sample collection.
Feather bulb specimens can be transported at room temperature; however, upon arrival at the laboratory, specimens should be stored at 4 °C until molecular testing is performed.
Note: During sample collection, personnel should wear latex or disposable gloves and change gloves between individual birds to prevent cross-contamination among specimens.
Note: Shed feathers collected from the ground or feathers obtained by cutting must not be used, as they may contain insufficient cellular material from the feather bulb and may be contaminated by environmental material.
Protocol references
1. Animal Allergy and Infectious Diseases Unit, S Biotec Co., Ltd., Thailand. (2026). Sample collection, packaging, and transport (in Thai). Available at https://www.sbiotec-labservic.com/
2. The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Thailand. (2018). Sampling Guide (in Thai). Available at https://vs.mahidol.ac.th/th/assets/files/mozwe/mozwe-download/SamplingGuide.pdf
3. Bird Genoscape Project. (2024). Feather Sampling Protocol. Available at https://www.birdgenoscape.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/BGP-Feather-Sampling-Protocol-2024.pdf