POULTRY DISEASES RESPIRATORY AND GASTROINTESTINAL

1
POULTRY DISEASESRESPIRATORY AND GASTROINTESTINAL

• Amy Fayette
• Ross University
• October 2004

2
Quail Bronchitis

• Adenovirus (Type 1)
• Young Quail (lt 4 wks)
• Fecal-Oral
• Tracheitis and bronchitis
• Coughing, sneezing, tracheal rales,
  airsacculitis
• Can reach 100
• Virus isolation
• None

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Vaccine

3
Egg Drop Syndrome 76

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs Lesions
• Diagnosis
• Vaccine

• Adenovirus Infection Type 3
• Chicken layers ducks
• Pharynx and feces
• Loss of color in pigmented eggs, drop in egg
  production, thin to shell less eggs, rough shell,
  inactive and atrophied oviducts, edema in uterus
• Viral Isolation
• Inactivated vax 14-16wk pullets

4
Aspergillosis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality

• Aspergillus fumigatus (mycosis)
• All avians, all ages
• Can penetrate egg shell and infect embryo, or
  spores in feed or litter and inhaled
• Dyspnea, polydipsia, emaciation, ataxia mycelial
  growths in air sacs or lungs, corneal ulceration
• 5-50

5
Aspergillosis continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• CS and lesions, microscopic demonstration of
  fungus
• Good management, use only clean, uncracked eggs,
  mold-free litter and feed, keep water and feed
  systems clean
• Nystatin, ketaconizole (any antifungal but cost
  prohibitive), top up litter or spray with 12000
  CuSO4

6
Avian Pox

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality

• Avipoxvirus
• WW all ages
• Break in skin allows virus in, infected scabs can
  contaminate the environment
• Cutaneous form
• Papule Vesicle Pustule Scab
• Diptheritic form
• Space occupying plaque in upper GI and Resp
• May cause suffocation
• Cutaneous form- 1-2 mort
• Diptheritic form- up to 40 mort

7
Avian Pox Continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine

• Intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies,
  viral isolation, ELISA, viral material will
  produce lesions in fertile chicken eggs
• Recovery gives long immunity, live vax, eliminate
  cannibalism with beak trimming
• No treatment
• Live vax

8
Quail Bronchitis

• Adenovirus (Type 1)
• Young Quail (lt 4 wks)
• Fecal-Oral
• Tracheitis and bronchitis
• Coughing, sneezing, tracheal rales,
  airsacculitis
• Can reach 100
• Virus isolation
• None

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Vaccine

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Avian Influenza

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical signs
• Lesions

• Type A influenza (orthomyxoviridae)
• All species (in US mostly turkeys and ducks)
• Airborne, viral particles from resp tract,
  fomites
• May be seasonal from migrating waterfowl,
  sneezing, rales, lacrimation, sinusitis, drop in
  egg production, diarrhea, edema of head, nervous
  disorder
• For HPAI fibrinous exudate in airsacs, oviduct,
  sinusitis, focal necrosis in skin, edema,
  hemorrhages

10
Avian Influenza continued

• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine
• Notifiable or Reportable

• AI variable HPAI 100 mortality
• Viral isolation, virus hemagglutinates
• Prevent exposure of exotic birds to commercial
  birds, quarantine, routine serological testing
• None
• Not helpful
• HPAI is

11
Chlamydiosis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Chlamydia Psittaci
• Most avian spp and most ages
• Carrier birds, primarily via inhalation of
  infected dust from dried feces also ingestion
• Mild resp signs, drop in egg prod, blood tinged
  diarrhea, ataxia, paraparesis pigeons only show
  conjunctivitis turkeys show depression,
  weakness, inappetence, nasal discharge, diarrhea
  and lung congestion

12
Chlamydiosis continued

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Notifiable or Reportable

• Turkeys have splenomegaly with necrohemorrhagic
  foci
• 5-30
• Culture and ID
• Avoid exposure to pigeons etc, all in all out
  system, quarantine
• Tx under supervision of state vet, tetracycline
  used but expensive and long course
• Yes

13
Avian Infectious Bronchitis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Coronavirus
• Chickens only, all ages
• Inhalation of virus containing droplets,
  carriers, survive up to 4 wks in environment
• Marked decrease in egg prod, soft shelled eggs
  with watery albimen, gasping resp, sneezing,
  coughing

Most common URI in the US
14
AIB continued

• Cheesy exudate at tracheal bifurcation, ocular
  and nasal discharge in young chicks
• Morbidity 100 Mortality 50
• Viral isolation, ELISA
• Vax
• No effective tx, broad spectrum ABs may prevent
  complications
• Modified live or killed Vax

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine

15
Infectious Coryza

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Morbidity Mortality

• Haemophilus paragallinarum
• All ages (greater than 4wks), chickens, pheasants
  and guinea fowl
• Carrier birds, inhalation of resp secretions,
  ingestion of contaminated feed or water
• Conjunctivitis with cheesy exudates, oculonasal
  discharge, sinusitis, facial edema, sneezing,
  drop in egg production, anorexia
• High morbidity

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Infectious Coryza continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine

• Culture of sinus or tracheal swab in candle car,
  requires V factor from Staph, gram stain, fast
  moving URI with swollen sinuses is suggestive
• Eradicate and prevent, all in all out system,
  proper sanitation, vax
• Sulfonamides and ABs, tend to relapse
• Bacterin and modified live vax

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Infectious Laryngotracheitis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Morbidity Mortality

• Herpesvirus
• All ages, esp mature chickens
• Carriers, resp transmission, mechanical via
  fomites
• Dyspnea, coughing, bloody mucus, cheesy exudates
  around face, neck and under wings,
  conjunctivitis, sinusitis, drop in egg production
• Morbidity high Mortality 10-70

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ILT continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine
• Notifiable or Reportable

• Viral isolation, chorioallantoic membrane of
  embroynated eggs
• All in all out system, dont add vaccinated or
  recovered birds to susceptible flock
• Supportive care
• Attenuated vax
• Reportable in some states

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Mycoplasma gallisepticum

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Mycoplasma spp
• More in older birds (chickens and turkeys)
• Transovarial, horizontally via inhalation of resp
  secretions, contamination of feed and water,
  fomites
• Develops slowly, poor condition, loss of weight,
  coughing, sneezing, rales, ocular and nasal
  discharge, drop in feed consumption, drop in egg
  production, airsacculitis

20
MG continued

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Vaccine

• Adhesive pericarditis, fibrinous perihepatitis,
  salpingitis, swollen infraorbital sinuses
• Mortality variable (higher in broilers)
• History of CRD with lower weight gain and drop in
  egg prod, isolate Mg, serology
• Dip eggs in AB solution or inject eggs, increase
  incubation temp 115 deg for 12 hours for hens
  eggs, broad spectrum AB
• Vax or bacterin

21
Mycoplasma Synoviae

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis

• Mycoplasma spp
• Chickens and turkeys
• Transovarial, horizontally via resp secretions
• Swollen joints and tendon sheaths, lameness, drop
  in weight, exudate in joints, airsacculitis,
  breast blisters
• Mortality 10
• History of lameness and swollen joints, isolate
  Ms, serology

22
Ms continued

• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• All in all out system, prevent carrier birds,
  depopulate, obtain Ms disease free chicks
• Broad spectrum AB, esp tylosin and tetracyclin,
  improve management and husbandry, decrease stress

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Mycoplasma meleagridis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Mycoplasma spp
• All ages of turkeys
• Transovarial, semen may be contaminated, during
  vent sexing from contaminated hands
• Mild or unapparent resp problems, poor weight
  gain, airsacculitis, some poults show neck or leg
  deformities

24
Mm continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• History of air sac lesions in embryos and poults,
  isolate Mm, serology
• All in all out system, depopulate, obtain Mm
  disease free poults, dip eggs in Ab soln
• Broad spectrum AB, tx semen with AB

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New Castle Disease

• Cause
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Paramyxovirus type 1
• Infected droppings and resp discharge,
  transovarial
• Lentogenic mild signs, subclinical Mesogenic
  resp signs (hoarse, chirping, nasal discharge,
  coughing), CNS involvement (0-25), drop in egg
  production, higher mortality (up to 50), mild
  airsacculitis, tracheitis, conjunctivitis
  Velogenic sudden death,
  marked resp signs, diarrhea, CNS involvement,
  facial edema, hemorrhagic foci in GIT,
  inflammation and froth in trachea and air sacs

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NCD continued

• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine
• Notifiable or Reportable

• Lentogenic low mort Mesogenic up to 50
  Velogenic 50-100
• Viral isolation, hemagglutination
• Control importation of birds, vax
• Supportive tx only
• Vax only for lentogenic and mesogenic strains
• Report all suspected

27
Candidiasis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Candida albicans
• All ages, mostly young chickens and turkeys
• Drinking water also improperly stored litter and
  food
• CS may be masked by a primary problem, involves
  upper GI, listlessness, ruffled feathers,
  diarrhea, regurgitation

28
Candidiasis continued

• Lesions primarily in mouth, esophagus and crop,
  white pseudomembranous or dipheritic patches,
  raised focal lesions, soft cheesy exudates
• Present in normal flora
• Culture and ID
• Good management and sanitation, obtain quality
  birds, decrease stress, avoid changes that alter
  the gut flora
• Bleach water supply, gentian violet to feed

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control and Prevention
• Treatment

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Ulcerative enteritis (quail disease)

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Lesions

• Clostridium colinum
• Young quail and pullets
• Usually assoc with stress or other disease states
• Depressed, ruffled anorexic, watery white
  droppings
• Hemorrhagic enteritis in duodenum, GI ulcers,
  liver has yellow grey necrotic areas, spleen
  hemorrhagic and enlarged

30
Ulcerative enteritis continued

• Mortality 50, greater in young
• Culture and ID
• Main reason for wire bottom cages
• Many effective drugs

• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

31
Necrotic enteritis

• Clostridium perfringens C
• Turkeys and broilers less than 4 wks old
• May resemble coccidiosis, diarrhea, huddling
  together, high pitched voice
• GIT thickened and necrotic, hemorrhage into lumen
• Culture and ID
• Many drugs effective

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Clinical Signs
• Lesions
• Diagnosis
• Treatment

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Gangrenous dermatitis (malignant edema or
necrotic edema)

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Clinical Signs
• Lesions
• Diagnosis
• Vaccine

• Clostridium septicum, perfringens and staph
  aureus
• Immunosuppressed birds (esp with previous IBD
  infection) mainly birds greater than 4 wks
• Legs and feet red and swollen tips of wings,
  inner thigh, and under wing red
• Red sloughing of tissue, internal organs enlarged
  and congested, SQ gas production, lung jelly like
• Culture and ID
• Vaccines for IBD help to decrease

33
Botulism

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis

• Clostridium botulinum
• Most avians, esp ducks
• Ingestion of toxin
• Death 12-24 hours, weakness, incoordination,
  flacid paralysis, loose feathers (not in turkeys)
• 100 mortality after symptoms appear
• CS, may find toxin in crop

34
Botulism continued

• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• Keep animals away from where toxins may be
• Decaying carcasses, shallow alkaline ponds,
  maggots
• No treatment after CS, before CS antitoxins,
  flush GIT, substrate to stimulate eating and
  drinking

35
What are the top killers of wild ducks

• Botulism
• Lead poisoning
• Cholera

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What are the top killers of domestic ducks

• Botulism
• Cholera
• Duck viral hepatitis

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Duck viral enteritis

• Herpesvirus
• Ducks, geese, and swans, all ages
• Carrier birds via infected feces and other
  discharges, suspect arthropods that feed on
  infected birds
• CS 3-7 days post exposure, bloody diarrhea, blood
  stained vent, dehydration, cyanotic bill, high
  mortality, drop in egg production, tremors,
  inappetence, weakness, ataxia, unable to stand,
  photophobia, adhered eyelids (bloody
  conjunctivitis), polydipsia, severe hemorrhagic
  enteritis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

38
DVE continued

• Die in characteristic position with the neck
  twisted downwards, sideways or backwards
• High mortality up to 100
• Viral isolation and ID, CS
• Avoid contact with wild waterfowl, good
  management, clean water, quarantine
• Supportive treatment

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

39
DVE continued

• Vaccine
• Notifiable or Reportable

• Available but not for general use, only available
  by approved animal health authorities
• Reportable in US

40
Duck Viral Hepatitis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Lesions

• Enterovirus in the picornaviridae family
• Commercial pekin ducklings less than 4wks old
• Shed in feces by recovered ducklings for up to 8
  wks after onset of infection
• Squat with eyes closed, ataxia, kick
  spasmodically
• Liver swollen and hemorrhagic, die in
  opisthotonos position

41
DVH continued

• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• Up to 1 wk 95 1-3 wks 50 over 4 wks
  negligible
• Viral isolation and ID, suggestive if rapid onset
  hemorrhagic hepatitis in young ducklings
• In an outbreak inoculate IM with duck viral
  antiserum, vaccinate unexposed ducklings,
  vaccinate breeder ducks every 3-4 months
• Supportive tx

42
Erysipelas

• Cause
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs

• Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
• Organism favors alkaline soil and is resistant in
  the environment for years, shed in feces of
  recovered birds for 41 days, fecal oral route,
  can also enter through a break in the skin
• Sudden death, squat, and appear sleepy,
  depressed, unsteady gate, ataxia, yellow green
  diarrhea, resp signs, swollen snood, catarrhal
  enteritis

43
Erysipelas continued

• Dark red skin, splenomegaly and congestion of
  internal organs, purulent arthritis and
  endocarditis in chronic cases
• Mortality up to 50
• Culture and ID, use candle jar for incubation to
  obtain 5-10 CO2, gram stain liver or spleen
  impression smear

• Lesions
• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis

44
Erysipelas continued

• Control Prevention

• Limit contact between personnel and animals,
  prevent breaks in the skin, avoid stress in the
  birds, raise poults away from older turkeys that
  may be carriers, vax in enzootic areas with
  bacterin at 8-12 wks and repeat at least once,
  obtain semen from clean flock, debeaking helps to
  decrease disease

45
Erysipelas continued

• Treatment
• Vaccine

• Pen and erysipelas bacterin, vax birds may show
  false rxn when tested for mycoplasma spp
• Vax available (bacterin)

46
E coli

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission

• Escherichia coli
• All types of avians and all ages
• Fecal oral route, transovarial, contamination of
  the egg shell via fecal material from hen

Most common secondary poultry infection in US
47
E coli continued

• Clinical Signs

• Airsacculitis
• Thickened air sacs with caseous exudate
• Fibrinous pericarditis and perihepatitis
• 3-7 wk old broilers
• Assoc with dusty litter
• Many times will follow another resp dz
• Signs and lesions vary
• Acute septicemia (colisepticemia)
• Resembles fowl typhoid and cholera
• Acute condition common in 4-12 wk chicks
• Swollen internal organs
• Petechial hemorrhages
• Liver greenish with small necrotic foci
• Variable mortality

48
E coli continued

• Clinical Signs

• Enteritis
• Diarrhea, mucoid enteritis
• Exudate soiled vent area
• Depressed and cachexic
• Omphalitis
• Most are mixed bacterial infections
• Navel area swollen and inflamed
• Wet abdomen
• Abnormal yolk material
• Peritonitis
• High mortality
• Dirty hatcheries

49
E coli continued

• Clinical Signs

• Salpingitis
• Entry of coliform bacteria from vagina
• Affected birds usually die by 6mos and never lay
• Oviduct distended with purulent odiferous exudate
• Upright or penguin posture
• Coligranuloma (Hjarres dz)
• Looks like TB
• Uncommon
• Nodules in GIT, mesentery and liver

50
E coli continued

• Clinical Signs

• Synovitis and arthritis
• Lame or recumbent
• Swelling of tendon sheaths and joints with
  caseous exudate
• Chronic arthritic condition may be seen
• Frequently a sequel to systemic infection
• Panopthalmitis
• Hypopyon usually in 1 eye which is blind
• Frequently a sequel to systemic infection
• Pericarditis
• Most systemic e coli infections have assoc
  peritonitis
• Myocarditis and opaque pericardial sac

51
E coli continued

• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment

• Culture and ID, always assume isolated e coli is
  secondary to another primary dz
• Minimize egg shell contamination, sanitation and
  fumigation a must, use feed that is free of
  feces, prevent other diseases parasites and
  stress, obtain good quality dz free chicks
• Many Abs work, culture and sensitivity should be
  done

52
Hemorrhagic Enteritis

• Cause
• Age group affected
• Transmission
• Clinical Signs
• Lesions

• Adenovirus Type 2
• Young turkeys, 6-12 wks
• Carrier birds, ingestion of contaminated feces,
  equipment, may follow sudden changes in feed, no
  egg transmission
• Sudden death, drop in food and water consumption,
  fresh blood in feces, blood stained vent,
  outbreaks of colisepticemia, SI distended and
  blood filled
• Spleen enlarged and mottled, as dz progresses
  atrophies and becomes silver- grey, hemorrhage
  seen in muscle, heart, liver and kidney

53
HE continued

• Morbidity Mortality
• Diagnosis
• Control Prevention
• Treatment
• Vaccine

• Mortality variable (10-60)
• Viral culture and Id
• Vaccine given at 3-4wks, good management, avoid
  sudden changes in diet
• Supportive tx, antiserum from recovered birds
• Vaccine available