Pigeons are sick as often as other birds, and wild birds even more often.
Some bird diseases are quite safe for humans, but there are also diseases that can cause significant harm to our health.
In this article, we will talk about such a common ailment as a worm (it’s Newcastle’s disease) that causes thousands of pigeons to die each year.
What is this disease
Whip is a dangerous viral disease of an epileptic nature. Newcastle's disease has received its popular name due to its main characteristic symptoms - paralysis of limbs and birds' heads, as well as a lack of coordination of movements. 
In the final stages of development, the disease affects the brain and bone marrow, after which it will not be possible to save the bird. The main source of the wriggles is already sick birds, which are able to infect their fellow tribesmen for a whole month (the first symptoms of the presence of the disease are already visible 3-4 days after infection).
Based on the severity of the disease and its characteristic symptoms, several main strains can be distinguished:
- lentogenic - weak or generally non-infectious option;
- mesogenic - possesses virulence of medium strength;
- Velogenny - characterized by high virulence and is considered the most dangerous.
Did you know? Newcastle's disease came to our lands from the island of Java, and it happened in the 20s of the XIX century.
To reduce the likelihood of spreading the disease among poultry, special vaccines are administered to sick pigeons, which help to defeat the disease. True, even they are not always able to guarantee 100% success. In addition to pigeons, chickens are also in danger, so it is advisable to keep them as far as possible from pigeon house. 
Causes
Scientists are the causative agent of the helica, an RNA-containing virus belonging to the paramyxovirus. It perfectly tolerates cold and maintains its vital activity at +1 ° C (it can extend for 4 months), and at 0 ° C it simply “preserves” and waits for more suitable conditions for the resumption of its activity.
High temperatures are detrimental to the virus and can already be destroyed at +56 ° C. The causative agent is able to live for 6 months in the carcass of a dead pigeon, while remaining all the same dangerous to the rest of the bird.
Familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of keeping at home such popular breeds of pigeons as peacocks, Uzbek, Turkmen fighting men, Baku fighting men, Turkish fighting men, Nikolaev’s high-flying, Kasan, Armavir, tipplers, Volga band.
Most often, infection occurs through feed, drink, bedding in cages or items for the care of birds, that is, airborne droplets.
Incubation period
Newcastle's disease "disappears" not for long, and already a few days after contact with a sick bird, their feathered relatives themselves become the source of the virus for the next 30 days. The first symptoms of the disease are noticeable as early as 2-3 days of its development in the body of an infected pigeon. 
Stages and symptoms
There are only three stages in the development of the wrenches, which rather quickly replace each other. In any case, it is important to know which symptoms to pay attention to in order to determine the disease at the earliest possible stage and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.
Initial
Almost from the first days of the development of the disease, the bird becomes lethargic, moves tentatively and loses interest in everything that happens around. Appetite may deteriorate, but only slightly, but water is consumed much faster.
After some time, clearly visible white specks appear on the beak, the eyes give off reddishness, and the feathers lose their attractiveness and look untidy. Every day there is a growing decrease in activity and at some point the sick individuals generally stop moving.
To care for pigeons at home, it will be important for you to know how to breed pigeons, how to make your own feeding trough and dovecote, what pigeons eat at home, what vitamins you need to give pigeons.
Average
One can determine the beginning of the middle stage of the development of Newcastle's disease according to the first symptoms of a neurological nature: disorientation in space (for example, a pigeon cannot get into the grain with its beak) and specific circular movement. 
In addition, during this period, the wrist appears to be a disorder of the digestive system, accompanied by abundant greenish-gray diarrhea with mucus impurities. The birds are becoming increasingly depleted and are already refusing food. Perhaps the appearance of cramps.
Final
At the final stage of the development of the wrist, all the inflammatory processes in the body pass into the brain, which is why there is a curvature of the neck of the pigeon and an inversion of the beak in the upward direction. The bird finally loses its spatial orientation, often falls, rotates its head (hence the name of the disease).
Important! If you do not start treatment in the first two days after the detection of characteristic signs, then it will be impossible to save the sick pigeon.
How to treat pigeon knuckle
To eliminate the characteristic symptoms and get rid of birds from Newcastle disease, various groups of drugs can be used, each of which is distinguished by its effectiveness. 
The most popular medications include the following:
- Antiviral formulationspresented by Vosprenil and Immunofan. In the first case, the medicine is usually drank to a sick bird, preparing the composition at the rate of 1 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water, continuing the course of treatment for 2-5 days. Sometimes "Fosprenil" can bury sick individuals in the nasal passages, and in severe cases, injections are recommended: 0.1 ml once a day for 5 days. "Immunofan" is also dissolved in water in a ratio of 0.1-0.3 ml per 1 l of liquid (dosage per day). The course of treatment lasts about 10 days. Both drugs contain interferon, which is characterized by high antiviral activity and helps to cope with the disease in a relatively short time. In no case should a pigeon be given two drugs at once, since an overdose of interferon can severely harm the avian organism.
- Nootropic medicinal formulations. Piracetam is most commonly used to treat Newcastle disease in pigeons. It has good nootropic capabilities and is able to reduce the neurological manifestations of the disease. When using medication, ¼ of the contents of the capsule are dissolved in a small amount of water and simply poured into the pigeon’s beak.
- Multivitamin preparations. The most famous representatives of this group are compositions called "Katazol", "Vikasol", "Galavit". All of them are aimed at improving the immune forces of the avian organism and help to cope with the progressive disease faster. The injection of the insulin syringe into the thoracic part of the sick bird is considered the most effective method of use. For example, "Katazol" is used at 0.3 ml every other day (until the clinical manifestations of the disease disappear), although the same "Vikasol" can be mixed with food in the calculation of 0.1 mg per 100 g of food (in some cases, depending on severity of the disease, the dosage may be increased).
- Chelators and prebiotics. As we have already said, the wrist is characterized by problems with the digestive tract of pigeons, therefore, when the first symptoms of indigestion appear, in order to reduce intoxication, you can use Sporovit, Linex or Carsil. They are mixed with food and given to the bird until the clinical symptoms of the disease disappear.
Any of the above medications will be as effective as possible only when they start to be used in a timely manner. Therefore, the sooner you determine the disease, the sooner you will receive a positive result from the treatment.Did you know? Thanks to DNA analysis, we managed to find out that modern pigeons are very similar to the extinct dodo bird, although the Nicobar pigeon, which is found in south-eastern Asia and the Nicobar Islands, is also considered to be their relative.
Is it possible to treat folk remedies
Not wanting to "poison" their wards with chemical compounds, some poultry farmers resort to the help of alternative medicine in the matter of treating waggons.
As a valid alternative to drug treatment, they propose to mix a small amount of grain, ground garlic and milk, and then place the resulting mixture deep in the goiter of a sick bird. 
However, Newcastle disease is deadly and it will not work without the use of serious medications.
Non-traditional medicine in this case can only serve as an auxiliary method of dealing with the knuckle, but not the main method (for example, when feeding the belladonna bird in moderate quantities, it will have a good homeopathic effect on the feathered organism).
Is it dangerous for humans?
Newcastle disease spreads very quickly among birds, but for humans it is not so terrible. Employees of poultry farms are usually exposed to this disease, and it manifests itself in the form of conjunctivitis with swelling of lymph nodes.
True, with good immunity, there may be no symptoms at all, but this is not a reason to forget about elementary caution when contacting even street pigeons. 
Prevention
In order not to look for ways to solve the problem, the disease is easier to prevent.
Among the main preventive measures are:
- Obligatory vaccination of pigeons with the use of the vaccine Bor-74, Gam-61 or La Sota (the choice of a specific option is made by a veterinarian after examining birds and conducting standard studies). The first vaccination is done at the age of 30-35 days, and then repeated twice a year: in spring and autumn.
- Observance of sanitary and hygienic requirements when caring for pigeons: regular cleaning of the room and working equipment, timely cleaning of feeders, as well as complete disinfection of the house twice a year.
- Isolation of sick individuals at the first suspicion of the presence of the disease (it is desirable that the place of quarantine be away from a healthy bird, be dark and cool).
- The organization of nutrition, with the addition of special vitamin complexes, freshly cut grass and grain.
Do not forget that even after the disappearance of all the symptoms of Newcastle disease, the former "patients" remain carriers of the virus for another month, so quarantine should last at least 30 days.Important! When vaccinating young stock, lethargy and drowsiness of vaccinated individuals can be observed. This is a temporary phenomenon, and do not need to be afraid.
Only by complying with all the prescriptions for treating and preventing the development of the wriggler, you will be able to protect your birds from death and protect yourself from the unpleasant consequences of communicating with them.
