POULTRY DISEASES IN INDIA: OVERVIEW

POULTRY DISEASES IN INDIA: OVERVIEW

R.P. Diwakar¹ , Vibha Yadav² and Rishi Kant³

^1&2Assistant Professor Department of Veterinary Microbiology, C.V.Sc.& A.H., A.N.D.U.T. Kumarganj Ayodhya, U.P.

³Assistant Professor Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, C.V.Sc.& A.H., A.N.D.U.T. Kumarganj Ayodhya, U.P.,

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INTRODUCTION

Poultry  is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. It has originated from the agricultural era. Poultry mainly chickens are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chickens are killed for consumption annually.

DISEASES

Some of the diseases have the potential to decimate a region’s poultry industry. When one of these diseases strikes, a quarantine or embargo could suddenly be placed on a region or nation. This could cause widespread economic hardship for both commercial and small flock owners. To protect the poultry industry—flock owners must be able to identify diseases to prevent them from spreading to other animals.

Diseases are spread by:

1. Direct contact
2. Indirect contact (contaminated equipment, people, environment)
3. Vectors (wild animals, rodents, insects)

In addition, reservoir of the disease, to persist in an area. This reservoir could be other birds or organic matter providing life support for these agents. Disrupting the methods by which diseases are spread can greatly reduce the threat to your flock.

POULTRY DISEASES

Some of the diseases have a greater effect in the bird population in comparison to other diseases. Most important disease are  pullorum-typhoid disease, caused such concern that it prompted the creation of the National Poultry Improvement Plan. Active efforts by the NPIP to control this disease have proven very successful, and as a result, the disease has nearly been eradicated. However, pullorum-typhoid testing needs to be continued due to continued exposure from imported birds and other sources.

Pullorum-typhoid disease has been reduced significantly, other diseases still threaten today’s poultry population. Two of these are avian influenza and Newcastle Disease (NCD).

AVIAN INFLUENZA

Avian influenza is a respiratory disease of poultry. Avian Influenza viruses can infect chickens and other birds like turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl etc. Migratory waterfowl seem to be a natural reservoir or host for Avian Influenza viruses. Type A influenza viruses are classified according to the severity of illness they cause. Avian Influenza viruses can be classified into low pathogenic and highly pathogenic based on the severity of the illness they cause in birds.

• Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI): Birds with LPAI may be appear healthy and without signs of sickness. However, LPAI can cause mild clinical signs, such as slight facial swelling and some respiratory symptoms. LPAI is monitored because two strains of LPAI—the H5 and H7 strains—can mutate into highly pathogenic forms.
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): This is a very infectious and fatal form of the disease that, once established, can spread rapidly from bird to bird or flock to flock. One gram (approximately one fourth of a sugar packet) of contaminated manure can contain enough virus to infect 1 million birds. HPAI typically causes severe illness with high death losses.

HPAI viruses can remain viable at moderate temperatures for several weeks in the environment and can survive indefinitely in frozen material. The virus can be killed by dehydration or sunlight.

CLINICAL SIGNS OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA:

1. Sudden death without any clinical signs
2. Decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
3. Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and legs
4. Purple discoloration of the wattles, combs, and legs
5. Nasal discharge, coughing, and sneezing
6. Lack of coordination
7. Diarrhea

HOW TO PREVENT OF AVIAN INFLUENZA:

1. House poultry indoors
2. Avoid the use of farm ponds and bird feeders
3. Avoid all contact with wild and domestic waterfowl
4. Avoid live bird markets
5. Control cats, rodents, beetles, insects, and other pests
6. Seek diagnostic help on unusual deaths
7. Avoid contact with your flock if working in poultry or swine processing
8. Try to avoid sharing equipment
9. If you share or borrow equipment, thoroughly clean and disinfect

NEWCASTLE DISEASE

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a contagious and fatal viral disease that affects all bird species. It is one of the most infectious poultry diseases in the world. Newcastle Disease is so deadly that many birds die without showing any signs of disease. In un-vaccinated poultry flocks, a death rate of almost 100 per cent can occur, and Newcastle Disease can cause death even in vaccinated poultry.

SPREADS:

• Direct contact between healthy birds and the bodily discharges of infected birds
• Rapidly among birds kept in confinement, such as commercially raised chickens
• Through exposure to virus-bearing material picked up on shoes, clothing, equipment, and vehicles

CLINICAL SIGNS:

1. Sneezing, gasping for air, nasal discharge, coughing
2. Greenish, watery diarrhea
3. Depression, muscular tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck, circling, and paralysis
4. Partial to complete drop in egg production
5. Production of thin-shelled eggs
6. Swelling of tissues around the eyes and in the neck
7. Sudden death and a high death rate in an infected flock

HOW TO PREVENT OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE:

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1. Vaccination programs
2. Biosecurity practicing.
3. Avoid contact with pet birds that belong to others, game fowl and live bird markets.

PULLORUM-TYPHOID DISEASE

Chickens are especially susceptible to pullorum-typhoid disease. Both hens and roosters can carry the bacteria, an adult bird’s joints may show signs of swelling, which is an indicator of possible pullorum-typhoid contamination.

SPREADS:

1. Transmitted from hen to young hatchlings directly through the egg.
2. Localized in the reproductive organs of a diseased female.
3. Also be transmitted through the digestive and respiratory secretions of infected birds.

CLINICAL SIGNS:

1. Swelling in joints of adult birds
2. Severe lesions on many of the internal organs
3. White pasty excrement (the disease was originally called bacillary white diarrhea)
4. The physical appearance of chicks and poults (drowsiness, lack of appetite, drooping wing, labored breathing, swelling in joints, and a stunted or distorted body appearance)
5. The high death rate in the first three weeks after hatching, sometimes approaching 100 percent of the brood

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT STEPS WHEN DISEASE OCCUR IN FLOCK

1. Separate the sick bird(s) from the rest of the flock.
2. Do not allow any person or equipment to come into contact with your flock or property until you can consult with a veterinarian.
3. Shower and disinfect your clothing and footwear after contact with the sick bird(s) or its environment; you will need to repeat these actions each time you have further contact with the sick bird(s).

2. Contact your veterinarian

When a bird shows signs of being ill, symptoms alone may not be enough to diagnose a particular disease since some diseases share similar symptoms. You should ask your local veterinarian to diagnose all unidentified illnesses.

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