In pigeon breeding, among diseases that quickly spread in the environment of birds, smallpox is often found in pigeons. Although it does not lead to deaths, it gives a lot of trouble to the poultry houses.
Smallpox in pigeons
Pigeon pox nature
Otherwise called yellow cork and diphtheria, smallpox in pigeons is a widely known avian disease in veterinary medicine, which often occurs in chronic forms and progresses from one to several months.
Smallpox of pigeons can occur in two forms, which are called:
- skin, or smallpox,
- diphtheria.
The course of smallpox is often found in a mixed form.
The largest number of cases of smallpox diseases is recorded in the period from April to June, when young animals are hatched, and pigeon breeders begin to train birds.
Pigeons infected with smallpox virus feel their initial clinical symptoms only after at least 2-3 weeks after the infection enters the body. At the same time, the clinical picture begins only with a general deterioration of the condition, when the activity of birds decreases, lethargy appears, ruffled plumage and lowered wings are noted. Subsequently, various changes in mucous membranes and skin are observed.
Development in cutaneous form
Smallpox in pigeons in this form of flow is distinguished by its characteristic symptoms:
- on the skin in places of viral infection, there are traces of the appearance of primary pockmarks, which outwardly resemble round, slightly rising specks of red color,
- subsequently, the primary pockmarks are transformed into hardening yellow with a gray tint or red with a brown tint.
Among the places subject to the most frequent damage, the following stand out:
- the base of the beak,
- mouth corners,
- areas around the nose and eyes,
- ear holes,
- paws and toes.
As the smallpox virus multiplies, it begins to spread, penetrating into all tissues, where under its influence fresh smallpox formations are formed.
In the risk group for skin disease are pigeons of postal breeds.
The smallpox form of the course, with timely treatment, ends favorably, without consequences dangerous for the bird, forming a lifelong immunity to smallpox.
The development of smallpox in the diphtheritic form
The diphtheritic form of the course of smallpox disease in pigeons causes the greatest concern in veterinary medicine and pigeon breeding, since it is the most severe, its treatment takes longer. Symptoms of this type include:
- damage to the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, infraorbital fossa, larynx region, goiter with small, well-visible round spots of yellow and white color,
- growth of primary pockmarks and their formation into soft mushy or hard dry films.
Over the past 2-3 years, pigeon breeders have noted an increasing number of cases of the spread of the disease in a diphtheritic form in the direction from the west to the east, from the epidemiological points of Moldova and Ukraine towards Central Russia.
Smallpox films in this form of the disease grow deeply into the mucous membranes under the tongue, on the cheeks, in the mouth corners, in the region of the palate and goiter, in the larynx and trachea. At the same time, the area of the larynx is most often affected by the smallpox virus, which leads to difficulty breathing and provokes the sounds of pigeons with wheezing and moaning, feeding problems.
The mixed form of the course of smallpox in pigeons shows symptoms of both the cutaneous form and the diphtheria.
After the defeat of the nasal cavity by the smallpox virus, inflammatory processes are noted in the lacrimal canals, infraorbital fossa, serous and purulent discharge, which, when dry, close the nasal passages, making breathing difficult.
In case of impaired visual function during inflammatory processes in the eyes of birds, photophobia and swelling are recorded, lacrimation and purulent exudate are observed.
Ornifarm - Smallpox of pigeons. Theory
Ornifarm - Smallpox of pigeons. Vaccination
The spread of smallpox disease among pigeons
The causative agent of smallpox in pigeons spreads among the livestock from sick birds to healthy ones, localizing in smallpox and being transmitted with crusty formations from diseased individuals. Smallpox virus is susceptible to elevated temperatures and is preserved by drying and freezing.
In smallpox neoplasms, the virus continues to be active for more than 2 years at a maintained temperature of no higher than 15 ° C.
Among the carriers of the smallpox virus are not only sick pigeons, it moves with the help of insects, through feed and technical equipment used when cleaning premises where pigeons are kept.
Among the accompanying factors that increase the risk of the onset and spread of smallpox disease are:
- non-observance of the feeding conditions of birds, in particular the lack of vitamin A, which is responsible for the immune function and the condition of the skin and mucous membranes,
- violation of the requirements for the content and technical parameters of the room, excessive dampness and the presence of drafts in the dovecote,
- frequent colds in pigeons and a decrease in the immunity of birds associated with them.
Diagnostics, prevention and treatment
Diagnosis of the disease allows you to separate smallpox in pigeons from diseases such as pasteurellosis, trichomoniasis and mycoplasmosis, the treatment of which involves the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Among the means to cure pigeons, antifungal medicines are used.
Smallpox treatment in pigeons is carried out with the help of external care with medicines and folk remedies and the use of a medication method.
External procedures
They include the cleansing of visible smallpox lesions with cotton swabs soaked in 2% boric solution or lozenge. In addition, cutaneous foci are cauterized with lapis or iodine solutions, followed by lubrication with nourishing creams. The affected areas in the area of the beak and throat are treated with small twisted cotton swabs with lugol and lozeval.
Medication measures
When deciding how and how to treat smallpox in pigeons, veterinarians for the treatment of secondary microflora prescribe an antibiotic from the group of tetracycline, tilan or enrofloxacin, which are given to the bird for a week. Additionally, in order to cure and improve the weakened immunity of pigeons, a vitamin and amino acid preparation is introduced. Probiotics are prescribed after the end of the course of taking antibiotics to normalize the intestinal microflora of the bird.
To avoid the spread of the disease, drinking water is disinfected with chloramine with a 0.5-1% concentration, or with potassium permanganate with a concentration of 1 in 1000, or furacilin or iodinol at the rate of 100 ml per three-liter volume of water.
Prevention
Smallpox prevention in pigeons is central to pigeon breeders' control of the virus. Preventive measures primarily include:
- observance of proper conditions for keeping birds,
- timely and complete feeding of pigeons,
- reorganization and disinfection in the dovecote,
- restriction of newly acquired birds in quarantine,
- elimination of disease vectors.
In addition to organizational measures, as the prevention of pigeon pox, vaccination against smallpox disease is carried out in pigeons using a domestic vaccine, the reaction to which is observed 5-8 days after injection, while immunity against smallpox disease occurs in a vaccinated bird after a week and lasts for at least years from the moment the vaccine was vaccinated. For young animals vaccinated with the vaccine, the medicine is inoculated again.