Avian Influenza- AI Incubation Period 3-5 days Course Time 10-14 days Avian Influenza is an infectious viral disease of wild birds, poultry and turkeys. This virus is world wide.  It is readily spread by air currents, feces, humans, vehicles, flies, litter, bugs, birds dead from the disease, infected litter. Infection can occur via the digestive tract and by bird to bird contact. Some recovered birds remain carriers for several weeks.  Clinical signs are usually classic respiratory involvement, listlessness, diarrhea , the acute form produces facial swelling, cyanosis and dehydration with respiratory stress.  There is no specific medication for AI, good biosecurity and husbandry with emphasis on hygiene and segregation of birds by age and class is the best treatment. Infected flocks will be quarantined by state animal-disease regulatory agency.        Fowl Pox-FP Incubation Period 4 to 10 days Course time Long Duration A relatively slow spreading infectious viral disease of poultry of all ages. Almost all birds of all ages are susceptible. Pigeon Pox can also infect chickens and turkeys. FP is world wide and is prevalent wherever poultry are raised. It is one of the earliest recognized diseases of poultry and was identified as a virus in 1902.  It is transmitted by air or infected mosquito and possibly by ingestion of infective scabs. Once airborne in the a poultry house, the virus can enter the blood stream through conjunctiva of the eye, skin sounds, or respiratory. Typical FP lesions will develop. Mosquitoes become infected from feeding on birds with FP in the blood stream. Some investigators think that the mosquito then remains infective for life.  Clinical signs are classic raised wart-like lesions on unfeathered areas (head, legs, vent, etc).  Unthrift ness, retarded growth, and slow spread through the flock are typical FP symptoms.  The lesions will heal (after 2 weeks) If the scab is removed before healing is complete, the surface beneath the scab is raw and bleeding. There are two types of lesions: dry form (skin) lesions and wet form (diphtheritic) lesions occur in the mouth, pharynx, larynx and trachea and cause canker like lesions and swelling.  You can  vaccinate with FP vaccine to stop FP outbreaks. Use wing-web (WW) vaccination method for chickens and feather follicle method for turkeys older than 8 weeks. Treat pos lesions in pet birds topically with silver nitrate and give an antibiotic in water for 2 to 3 days to combat bacterial infections. FP outbreaks in poultry confined to houses can be controlled by spraying to kill mosquitoes.  If FP is endemic in the area, vaccinate replacement birds. There is no cross protection between QP and FP. Vaccination for both maybe necessary if both are endemic in the area.       Infectious Bronchitis Incubation Period 17 to 36 hours Course time 10 to 14 days An acute highly contagious viral respiratory disease of chickens.  Virus is classified as coronavirus. This is a disease of chickens only and all chickens are susceptible unless they have been vaccinated. Recovered birds are immune for several months. This disease is considered the most contagious poultry disease known. The disease is spread by air, feed bags, infected dead birds, infected houses, and rodents. Infected birds excrete the virus in the feces for several weeks following clinical recovery. Clinical signs are rapid onset and rapid spreading, infection 100% of the flock. The severity is influenced by age and immune status of flock and general health. Feed and water consumption declines, chilling, chirping, watery discharge in eyes and nostrils, labored breathing with some gasping in young chicks. Egg production drops to half, no nervous symptoms as with ND. Lesions are primarily in the respiratory tract, infected embryos die before hatching. Primary lesions in young birds are conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) followed soon by nasal discharge,  and cheesy exudates in the trachea (windpipe).  Birds become asphyxiated due to the lug of exudate in the trachea .  There is no specific treatment, though antibiotics are run for 3-5 days and may aid in combating secondary bacterial infections.  Increase room temps and provide good hygiene management.        Laryngotracheitis Incubation Period 2 to 12 days Course time 7 to 14 days A highly contagious infectious Herpes viral disease of chickens and pheasants. Characterized by SEVERE respiratory distress and bloody tracheal exudates. Chickens 14 weeks and older are more susceptible than young chicken. Most LT outbreaks occur in mature hens. Can become a problem within an endemic or localized area. Chickens that recover carry the virus, so farms tend to stay infected for a while after outbreaks. Transmission is direct bird-to-bird contact, or bird contact with bird-tissue, dead infected birds, infected buildings or unattentuated vaccines. Can be spread on clothing, shoes, tires. Chickens that recover remain carrier for as long as 24 months. Clinical signs first noticed are water eyes, then the birds remain quiet because breathing is difficult, coughing, sneezing, and shaking of the head to dislodge exudate plugs in the windpipe. Birds extend head and neck to attempt open mouth breaking (gasp), and inhalation produces a wheezing sound. These birds are called "callers". Blood tinged exudates and serum clots are expelled from the trachea of affect birds. Many birds die of asphyxiation. No nervous symptoms as in ND. Egg production drops sharply. Gross lesions are usually confined to the respiratory tract. Tracheal hemorrhage is common, including blood clots.  Treatment is difficult at best. Quarantine the farm, tighten farm security and have separate caretaker for sick birds, stop cross traffic to other poultry buildings. Administer antibiotics and vaccinate the remaining flock.  Use only attenuated LT vaccines that are approved by USDA. Administer vaccine by eye or nose drop methods. Delay vaccination until birds are at least 6 weeks old. Vaccination with LT is not as successful as for other diseases, but is an excellent preventative measure for use in outbreaks and in epidemic areas .       NewCastle Disease Incubation Period 5 to 7 days Course time 10 to 14 days Acute rapid spreading contagious respiratory disease of birds of all ages. Highly fatal to young chicks. All birds of all ages, humans, and other mammals are susceptible to ND. May cause eye infections in persons working in labs or on vaccination teams. Transmission can be airborne or introduced on contaminated shoes, caretakers, feed deliverers, visitors, tires, dirty equipment and wild birds. ND is passed in the egg, but ND infected embryos die before hatching.  Clinical signs are sudden onset; rapid spread through the flock. Discomfort, hoarse chirp, chilling, watery discharge from nostrils, labored breathing and gasping, facial swelling, paralysis, trembling and twisting of the neck (CNS symptoms).  Lesions are facial edema (fluidic swelling) in young chick's, congestion and hemorrhage in all tissues; cloudy air sac's, exudates in the lungs and windpipe and acute inflammation of all air passages.  No specific treatment, but antibiotics are run for 3 to 5 days to prevent secondary bacterial infections (e.coli).  Prevention is with vaccination.       M. Gallisepticum (MG) Incubation Period 3 to 10 days Course time: Chronic in Flock Contagious disease of poultry, gamebirds, pigeons, and passerine birds of all ages. Younger birds are more susceptible than older or mature birds. At one time the most common means of MG spreading was by trans ovarian passage from infected breeders. Today, however,  breach of sound management and biosecurity measures is more often the cause. MG can spread within the poultry house by direct bird to bird contact and by exhaled respiratory droplets (indirect contact).  Clinical signs  may be slight when uncomplicated. Sticky exudate from nostrils, foamy exudate in eyes, and swollen sinuses. Airsacculities with yellow exudate in air sacs. Infected birds develop respiratory rattles, sneeze and flip their heads. May spread slowly through a flock or maybe acute. Affected birds often are stunted and unthrifty.  Infection can be acute in an individual bird, but take considerable time to spread throughout a flock. Recovered birds remain carriers.  Treatment is erythromycin, tylosin, spectinomycin and lincomycin. Tylosin consistently gives good results. Administration of most of these antibiotic is by feed, water or injection.       Avian Tuberculosis Incubation Period Weeks Course time is Continuous Chronic slow-spreading infectious disease of adult fowl caused by a bacterium. Infection is most common in chickens older than l year, but younger birds can become infected. Transmission is usually an infected environment. Infected birds excrete the organism in their feces. Spreads from bird to bird, animal to bird, and bird to animal (including rodents). Infected dead birds may infect rodents. Clinical signs are birds that lose weight and become unthrifty. Comb and wattles regress and become pale. Affected birds are usually older than one year.  Avian TB progresses slowly thru a flock TB in the bone will produce lameness. There is no treatment for avian TB and requires flock depopulation, rodent control and strict sanitation of buildings and equipment.       Infectious Coryza Incubation Period hours to days Course time is days 3 months  An acute to chronic infectious respiratory disease of chickens, pheasants and guineas caused by a bacterium. Chickens 14 weeks of age and older are most susceptible and it increases with age. Characterized by conjunctivitis;, catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract (nostrils, sinuses, and upper windpipe); sneezing, swelling of the face and reduced egg production in hens. Transmission is bird to bird within a flock. Recovered birds remain carriers. Within an outbreak flock, contaminated feed and or water is probably the mode of spread. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps and live bird sales.  Clinical signs are swelling and puffiness around the face and wattles, thick stick discharge from the nostril (and a very offensive odor!) , labored breathing, and rales are the common clinical signs. There is a drop off in in feed and water consumption as well as egg production. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds become stunted. Illness persists for several weeks, continuously if complicated with mycoplasma gallisepticum.   Treatment is usually sulfadimethoxine (Albon). If Albon fails or is not available, sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine or erythroymcin (Gallimycin) can be used as alternate treatments.  If you have an outbreak, segregate birds by age and dispose of dead bird by incineration. All replacement birds on a "coryza endemic" farm should be vaccinated.    Localized Pasteurellosis Incubation Period 3 to 5 days Course time is slow and continuous A chronic infectious disease of chickens caused by a bacterium. Characterized by inflammation of the face and wattles.  Can infect all birds and mature chickens are more susceptible.  Transmission is from bird to bird (from infected or carrier to susceptible bird).  Also contracted from infected premises; in some cases following an outbreak of fowl cholera.  The infection usually enters the birds tissues through mucous membranes of the pharynx or upper respiratory tract, but may also enter via conjunctive and superficial wounds. Domestic cats, raccoons, and other small animals harbor pasteruella in their mouths and introduce infection t domestic poultry. Chronic pasteurellosis follows outbreaks of fowl cholera.  Clinical signs are only few birds in the flock getting affects, it spread slowly . Low mortality and slight decrease in egg production. Affected birds have swelling of the face or wattles and nasal discharge. Labored breathing and occasionally, a bird will exhibit incoordinaton if infection becomes localized in the middle ear. Treatment is sulfadimethoxine (SDM) but other sulfas are also effective. Short-term treatments do not prevent relapses; long term water treatments can cause drug toxicity. Feed treatment is safer and more effective.  Sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, and sulfaquinoxaline are effective.