Important Poultry Diseases that You Need to Know

Diseases are often characterized according to their biology, such as: *. Virus, Bacteria, Parasites, Fungi, and their causes, e.g. nutritional disorders. However, in the following the most important diseases in poultry are divided into three categories according to their severity and importance in village-based small-scale production systems. Distinct features, such as their characteristics during outbreaks (symptoms), and possible treatments (prevention or control), as well as the time of occurrence, will be presented. *. The importance of a disease is judged by mortality rates and effect on production, and will vary greatly from area to area and from season to season. Combination of diseases Some less important diseases mayinteract with other diseases to create a more severe effect on thebirds. This is the case for: E. coli infections, nutritional deficiencies and internal parasites. Such diseases rarely kill the individual bird, but have a remarkable effect on the immune system of the birds, thus creating the basis for easy infection by other diseases.

Poultry birds and Gumboro

Gumboro is very common worldwide. It affects mainly chickens (serotype 2 only in USA, in chickens, turkeys and ducks) of2-16 weeks. Infectious bursal disease virus is a birnavirus. It is highly stable and resistant to many physical and chemical agents. It is highly contagious andis be spread by contaminated faeces, water and feed. It can alsobe carried by vectors such as darkling beetles and rats. Causes of Gumboro IBD occurs only in young birds (2-16 weeks) and is seen mainly in chickens. It is a Birnavirus. It is highly stable and resistant to many physical and chemical agents. Mode of transmission IBD spreads by contaminated faeces, water and feed. It is a highly contagious and hardy agent. Other vectors can harbour the virus including the lesser meal worms and rats.