AVIS - Poultry diseases - Tools 2/3/21, 8:26 PM

Tools Tables

Respiratory tract
Viral infections
Infectious bronchitis (IB)
This is an acute, highly contagious disease caused by a coronavirus, and
characterised by tracheal rales, coughing and sneezing. Nasal discharge can
occur in young chicks and a drop in egg production is seen in laying flocks. The
consequences on growth performance and egg production make IB a disease
of great economic importance.

Laryngotracheitis (LT)

An acute disease of chickens, characterised by signs of respiratory depression,

gasping and expectoration of bloody exudate. LT is responsible for egg
production losses and mortality. The virus which causes LT is an herpesvirus.

Turkey rhinotrachetis (TRT) & Swollen head syndrome of chickens (SHS)

These diseases are mostly diagnosed in Europe, and are caused by
Pneumoviruses. These viruses can produce variable degrees of respiratory
problems, depending particulary on the presence or absence of exacerbative
organisms (e.g. E. coli). Signs may include: rales, sneezing, nasal discharge,
conjunctivitis, submandibular oedema, swelling of infra-orbital sinuses or drop
in egg production. Control must combine good flock management practices
with chemotherapy targeting exacerbating agents and appropriate vaccination
programmes.

Intestinal tract Haemorragic enteritis

This is an acute disease of 4 week old (or older) turkeys, characterised by
depression, bloody droppings and sudden death. The infection causes
immuno-suppression, and the marble spleen disease of pheasants is related to
Haemorragic enteritis - both are caused by an adenovirus. Vaccines exist to
prevent the disease.

Duck virus enteritis

An acute, contagious herpesvirus infection of ducks, geese and swans,

characterised by vascular damage, digestive mucosal eruptions, lesions of
lymphoid organs and degenerative change in parenchymatous organs. It is
also called Duck Plague. The virus causes a sudden, high, persistent flock
mortality and a drop in egg production with subsequent high economic losses.
Control of the disease must include hygiene, biosecurity and vaccination.

Coronaviral enteritis of turkeys (Bluecomb disease)

An acute, highly infectious disease affecting turkeys of all ages manifesting as

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inappetite, weight loss and wet droppings. Morbidity is often very high (up to
100%) as swell as mortality, especially in young poults. Antibiotics can help to
control the secondary infections. If necessary, every attempt must be made to
reinforce the natural immunity of the birds.

Rotavirus infections
These are frequently associated with outbreaks of diarrhoea, watery droppings,
poor weight gain and mortality. The ubiquity of these viruses makes it difficult to
keep commercial flocks free from infection. Control is mainly based on flock
management and hygiene.

The liver Duck virus hepatitis

This is a fatal, rapidly-spreading viral infection of young ducklings characterised
primarily by hepatitis. There are three types of Duck Hepatitis Viruses (DHV),
DHV1 (Picornavirus), DHV2 (Astrovirus) and DHV3 (Picornavirus). It affects
young ducklings causing high morbidity (100%) and mortality (up to 98%). In
ducklings of 4-5 weeks of age, morbidity and mortality are low or negligible.
Sera from immune ducks can be used to treat affected birds. Vaccines have
also been used.

Turkey viral hepatitis

An acute, highly contagious, typically subclinical disease of turkeys, that

produces lesions of the liver and less frequently the pancreas. In clinical cases,
variable degrees of flock depression and sudden death are noticed. Signs are
worsened by a concurrent stressor or by exacerbative agents. Prevention of
stress and of concurrent pathology are necessary to control the disease.

Circulatory & immune Marek's disease (MD)

systems
This is a chicken lymphoproliferative disease which is characterised by a
mononuclear infiltration of one or more of the following tissues: peripheral
nerves, gonads, iris, viscera, muscle, follicular epithelial cells and skin. It is
caused by a herpesvirus and is transmissible via both airborne route and
contact between birds. Contaminated poultry house remain infectious for at
least several months at 20-25ºC, and for years at 4ºC. Birds can carry and
spread the virus without demonstrating any symptoms. Clinical signs are
mostly nervous symptoms (e.g. paresis, paralysis of extremities). MD can be
immuno-suppressive. There is no effective treatment and vaccination is the
major way of controlling the disease. MD remains an important disease in
chicken production.

Leukosis group
These viruses induce a variety of transmissible neoplasms, mainly in chickens
- these leukoses are caused by oncoviruses. Lymphoid leukosis,
erythroblastosis, myeloblastosis, myelocytomatosis and haemangiomas are
examples of such tumoral diseases.

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Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD or Gumboro disease)

An acute, highly contagious viral infection of young chickens, that has lymphoid
tissue as its primary target with a special predilection of the bursa of Fabricius.
As the bursa of Fabricius is the main immunity regulator in chickens, this
infection creates immuno-suppression, mortality and major economic losses.
IBD is caused by a Birnavirus. Field viruses exhibit different degrees of
pathogenicity in chickens. Vaccine viruses also have different pathogenic
capacities. IBD can cause severe mortality (up to 50%) in chickens or pullets.
Immuno-suppression also impairs the performance of the birds, even in the
absence of symptoms. Vaccination control programmes have to be regularly
adapted (new strains, new timings) to follow the evolution of field strains and
infections.

Polymorphic viral Newcastle disease

diseases
This disease is caused by a Rubulavirus (Newcastle Disease Virus, NDV)
which is the prototype for that genus. ND is complicated in that different
isolates and strains of the virus may induce enormous variation in the severity
of the disease. This disease is widely spread in the world and is of major
economic significance. The virus is transmitted by inhalation or ingestion and
causes a great variety of symptoms in many species of birds. Vaccines are
available to prevent the disease and the spread of the virus.

For full information see: Newcastle Disease module

Influenza

This is caused by a type A influenza virus member of the Orthomyxovirus

family. Infections among birds are associated with a variety of disease
syndromes, ranging from subclinical to mild upper respiratory disease to loss of
egg production to acute, generalised fatal disease. The economic impact of
these diseases is very high. Many species of birds can be affected, especially
turkeys and chickens. Infected birds excrete the virus from the respiratory tract,
conjunctiva and faeces. Usually, morbidity is high with a low mortality; but in
severe cases both can reach to 100%.Clinical signs are extremely variable,
and may reflect abnormalities of the respiratory, enteric, reproductive or
nervous systems. Eradication of the disease is the aim, with high biosecurity
and hygiene demands. No definitive and satisfying solution can be given by
vaccination at present.

Pox

This a common viral disease of domestic birds of no public health significance,

caused by Poxviruses. It is a slow spreading disease characterised by the
development of skin lesions (cutaneous form), or lesions in the mucous
membrane of the upper respiratory tract, mouth and oesophagus (diphteria
form). Fowl and turkey poxvirus infections are economically important diseases
in domestic poultry. Vaccines are available for the prevention of this disease.

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Reovirus infections

Reoviruses cause diseases mainly in chickens, turkeys and ducks, especially

in young birds. The classical symptoms are those of arthritis/tenosynovitis, but
the infection can also cause stunting syndrome, respiratory disease, enteric
disease or malabsorption syndrome. Vaccines are available against
Reoviruses and powerful hygiene measures must be undertaken to prevent
this infection.

Parvovirus infections

These diseases affect mostly chickens, geese or Muscovy ducks, and provoke
severe damages only if the birds are precociously infected (first week of age).
Water or mucoid diarrhoea, retarded growth, abnormal growth of feathers are
the main symptoms. Death (up to 100%) occurs mostly in the first two weeks of
age, but retarded growth and abnormal feathers can cause severe economic
damage. Vaccines are available for geese and ducks.

Nervous system Avian encephalomyelitis

The virus responsible for this disease seems to be a member of the
Picornaviridae family. It affects primarily young chickens, and is characterised
by ataxia and rapid tremors, especially of the head and neck. Since vaccines
are available, this disease is no longer of great economic importance and has
no public health significance.

Genital tract Egg Drop syndrome (EDS 76)

This disease affects the genital tract and has become a major cause of loss of egg
production; it is caused by an adenovirus. Apparently healthy birds produce thin-
shelled or shell-less eggs. This disease has no public health significance and must be
controlled by combination of vaccination, hygiene and controlled immunisation.

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