Pseudochuma or Newcastle disease in chickens, pigeons, turkeys, and other birds

Acute and rapidly spreading viral disease, characterized by lesions of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, causing massive mortality of birds.

There is a possibility that Newcastle's disease, known as “bird plague,” existed long before, at the end of the 19th century, they learned to distinguish the most dangerous bird diseases at that time — pasteurellosis, “classical bird plague”, and “pseudo-podium”.

Newcastle disease - what is it?

Newcastle disease is one of the most dangerous viral diseases of birds. Brings huge damage and problems in modern poultry farming on numerous poultry farms and farms. The specialists of the veterinary service are on a strict test, but even this does not prevent the emergence of new foci of the disease in different countries and regions.

The infected individual suffers from the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. In most cases, the disease is not easy, accompanied by a decline in fertility of livestock, often fatal.

Psevdochuma delivers a lot of losses, both large poultry farms and farmers and always stands on tight control by veterinary specialists. Newcastle disease has many names, for example, Newcastle, pseudpossum, Asian, atypical or Brunswick plague, pseudoencephalitis, Doyle's disease.

Signs of turkeys, chickens, pigeons

The incubation period can last from 3 to 12 days. The manifestation of the symptoms of the disease may vary. It all depends on the specific strain that the individual has contracted. All strains have a common characteristic - the ability to deal with external factors of a physical and chemical nature.

They are viable for a long time:

• in the habitat of birds in winter - up to 5 months, in summer - up to 7 days;
• in buried infected corpses of birds - up to 1 month;
• in the dried organs of infected birds at a temperature of about + 18 ° C - up to 2 years;
• in frozen carcasses of carriers of infection - 1-2 years;
• in the body of tick carriers - more than 6 months;
• in the litter of a sick bird - about 20 days;
• during heat treatment of infected carcass - up to 1 hour.

Important! Infected broiler chickens are sources of the virus.

The disease is easily diagnosed by signs characteristic of all its forms.

Some changes in the behavior and condition of the bird are inherent to pseudo-pills:

1. temperature increase, up to 44 degrees;
2. refusal of food;
3. rejection of fluid intake;
4. decreased activity, mobility, apathy, drowsiness;
5. blurred vision, conjunctivitis;
6. there are problems with breathing, "harkany", cough;
7. mucus is released from the beak;
8. the work of the musculoskeletal system, including paralysis;
9. intestinal upset, diarrhea may be yellowish-green, with blood.

Signs of infection appear the same in all birds. The symptoms of Newcastle disease in chickens are the same as in a pigeon or a turkey.

Source of Newcastle disease of birds

Unhealthy and incubated birds can carry the pathogen (rodents, insects, pets, people can also share the virus). Bacteria are secreted from the body with secrets, feces, eggs.

Water, work accessories, bedding mixtures, feed, feathers and down, taken from sick birds, carcasses of forcedly killed birds, air with close contact of healthy and sick individuals helps it to spread.

The virus may be present on the surface and inside the eggs of a sick chicken. In poultry houses where infected birds are kept, the virus moves in the air when the fans are working, and also enters the environment and spreads over long distances, especially in windy weather.

In the incubation period, the virus can be detected 24 hours after infection, in the body of a recovered bird within 2-4 months after clinical recovery. Carriers of infection are not only wild migratory birds, but also domestic ducks, geese.

Regular repetition and relative seasonality in the summer-autumn period, characteristic of the disease. This is due to the increase in livestock at this time of year and with the strengthening of economic activity, bird contact. On poultry farms with a conveyor flow of birds, the infection may be permanent.

This is due to the long-term content of the virus in the external environment in winter, the transfer of the virus to a free-living bird, and also the virus that has already recovered chickens. In the active state, the virus can persist in the body of ticks that live in poultry houses.

Attention! Researchers have proven that the radius of infection can reach tens of kilometers!

Treatment

There are no special drugs for Newcastle disease. Suspecting the disease, from 3 to 5 fresh corpses and at least 20 serum samples from a sick bird are sent to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. If the diagnosis is officially confirmed, the farm is closed for quarantine. At this time it is prohibited:

• import and export chickens;
• sell poultry products - meat, eggs, feathers and feathers;
• no strangers are allowed on the chicken farm.

A month later, the last case of the disease and disinfection throughout the farm economy quarantine canceled. With the elimination of all livestock quarantine removed 5 days after the final reorganization.

It is not reasonable to treat a sick bird, there is a threat of infection of the whole livestock. therefore from diseased individuals get rid of. Slaughter of birds is carried out adhering to the veterinary and sanitary standards, followed by disinfection of places of slaughter and inventory. A healthy bird is vaccinated with live vaccines.

Chicken vaccination

The best way to fight Newcastle disease in chickens is to get vaccinated. If chickens and other birds do not vaccinate, then the chance of infection is maximum - 90-100%. In this case, death is guaranteed in 40-80% of cases.

Vaccinate strictly for poultry from 4 months of age.better two times. It is permissible to be vaccinated at the age of the first month of life.

It is enough to broilers to vaccinate once from the tenth day of life. The question of whether to vaccinate adults should be decided by a veterinarian who is familiar with the Newcastle disease situation in chickens in your area, as the procedure reduces bird productivity. Spring and autumn are the best periods for vaccine administration.

After applying the medication, immunity appears on the third or fourth day. It is possible to protect broilers for a period of 2 to 12 months. The period depends on the type of vaccine, the age of the birds, the quality of food and content.

Important! We should not forget that during the period before and after vaccination, the diet of birds must be provided with a complex of vitamins (A, B and D), to strengthen the immune system and the general condition of the body.

Baits with vitamins are needed for at least 10 days.

Preventive measures

Vaccination is not the only way to fight Newcastle’s disease in pigeons and other birds. It is important to observe preventive measures to prevent the appearance of the virus. The complex of sanitary and veterinary standards includes:

1. twice a year to disinfect the house;
2. if it is impossible to provide access to sunlight, use lamps with ultraviolet radiation in the habitat of chickens and other birds;
3. the vents and windows of the birds' habitat should be covered with bars to prevent the entry of wild infected birds;
4. in a large farm with several poultry houses, for each room should be a separate labeled clothing;
5. A new imported livestock cannot be immediately placed with the old one; it should be kept in isolation for a month;
6. meat and eggs of birds before use to expose the processing of boiling water.

Danger to humans

Newcastle disease virus does not pose a deadly danger to humans. Sometimes directly contacted with sick chickens and other birds are infected. The infection penetrates the human body by airborne droplets: inhalation of dust with strains. Possible contamination of the eyes with contaminated hands after working on a chicken farm. The latent period of infection in humans lasts from 3 days to a week.

Symptoms:

• flu-like symptoms (general weakness, nasal congestion, lack of appetite, slight fever);
• slight conjunctivitis with redness of the eyelids;
• mucous or purulent discharge from the eyes and nose (sometimes);
• diarrhea - sometimes, even less often - with blood;
• an infected child in severe cases, there are lesions of the brain.

It is important to follow basic sanitary and hygienic rules:

1. after work in the house, be sure to wash with soap and decontaminate hands;
2. Before eating, poultry meat and eggs must be thermally processed; they cannot be eaten raw;
3. use a respiratory mask during vaccination with chickens spray or disinfectant measures;
4. at the first suspicion of infection, contact your doctor.

Conclusion

Newcastle disease is an extremely dangerous contagious disease. Recuperation measures should be carried out with its maximum speed and in full in order to prevent further spread of the virus beyond the origin of the outbreak. Therefore, early diagnosis is essential.