Content
- What is Avian Cholera?
- What are the symptoms of avian cholera?
- Symptoms of Acute Avian Cholera
- Symptoms of Chronic Cholera in Birds
- Avian Cholera Treatment
- Avian Cholera Prevention
Avian cholera is a relatively common bacterial disease among poultry and also affects domestic and wild birds. It is an alteration that manifests itself with lesser or greater severity, being potentially deadly. It is highly contagious and can cause a real epidemic if there are several birds living together, as it is also resistant to many antibiotics.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will see what avian cholera is, what its symptoms are, the treatment that can be implemented and how to prevent its appearance.
What is Avian Cholera?
This disease is from bacterial origin. Specifically, it is caused by the bacteria Pasteurella multocida. Different serotypes (groups of microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses) and degrees of virulence can trigger the disease. Besides, it's a very resistant bacteria in the environment. some chickens with infectious runny nose they aggravate their condition, also suffering from avian cholera. Birds can have this bacteria as part of the normal flora of the respiratory system, which is why it is considered a secondary pathogen in other diseases, although it can be the primary trigger itself.
In addition to the poultry, the poultry and wild birds they can also suffer from avian cholera. Disease transmission occurs horizontally and chronically infected birds are the main source of infection[1].
However, the bacteria can also be found in other animals, including humans. Birds are infected by ingesting bacteria that have contaminated food or water, and droppings from sick or carrier birds are another source of infection. In addition, another possible route of contamination is respiratory, through inhalation or sneezing, and cutaneous, through wounds and different types of injuries.
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What are the symptoms of avian cholera?
The severity of the condition will be influenced by the type of virus. The affected species, the state of health of the sick bird, the environment in which they live, site management, etc., must also be taken into account. Depending on the symptoms presented, it is possible to speak of a extremely acute, acute or chronic infection. Extremely acute infection is characterized by the sudden death of affected birds, without any symptoms of disease being detected.
Symptoms of Acute Avian Cholera
In general, in the acute form, the disease causes a sudden increase in the mortality rate, in addition to fever, anorexia, mucoid discharge, depression and dyspnea - a difficulty in breathing. See what the main symptoms are:
- Lack of appetite (the chicken does not eat)
- Fever
- Thirst
- Somnolence
- Prostration (the bird remains immobile)
- Abundant diarrhea that may contain blood
- Breathing problems
- Mucus
- Crests and dewlaps turn purple because the bird cannot get enough oxygen
- widespread bleeding
Symptoms of Chronic Cholera in Birds
In its chronic form, joint injuries, tendon sheaths, dewlap edema and plantar pads are seen. Lesions are usually related to vascular disturbances and necrotic spots in the liver may also be seen. Check out the main symptoms of this case of the disease:
- Swollen dewlap due to accumulated pus
- Arthritis
- Masses or abscesses
- bleeding
- Enlargement of the liver and heart
- Other internal injuries
Avian Cholera Treatment
The diagnosis of avian cholera is made through the observation of clinical signs, necropsy findings and isolation of the bacteria in the tissues of the affected birds. As it is a bacterial disease, only the veterinarian can diagnose the antibiotic administration, although they do not always achieve good results due to the resistance of some types of bacteria.
Many commonly used antibiotics cannot eliminate the bacteria. To find the most recommended drug, the ideal is to make a antibiogram. With the test it is possible to determine which antibiotics the bacteria present in the bird are more sensitive or resistant to.
The prevention of the disease is done by adopting good biosecurity practices in the place where the birds are and vaccination. Proper nutrition and hygiene are fundamental pillars for both recovery and prevention. In general, due to the improved living conditions of birds, we are more likely to find chronic cases than acute cases of avian cholera.
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Avian Cholera Prevention
It is possible to protect chickens through vaccination and, of course, providing adequate living conditions at all times. The good news is that yes, there is a vaccine for avian cholera. THE vaccine can be administered during the first months of the bird's life and it is up to the veterinarian to indicate the most appropriate way to apply this and other vaccines, as well as the protocol in case of need for repetition of doses, since there are several types of vaccines.
For more complete protection, two doses separated by a period of 3 to 4 weeks may be necessary. The application, depending on the vaccine, is subcutaneous, intramuscular or oral. However, you must take into account that, as there are several types of bacteria, the vaccine may not protect the bird against all of them. This means that even a vaccinated chicken can get avian cholera.
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This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Avian Cholera - Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Infectious Diseases section.