To date, farmers engaged in breeding domestic animals, faced with a huge number of various ailments. Many of them can be cured with the help of effective drugs, but there are also those that lead exclusively to death. Newcastle disease is a viral disease that mainly affects birds. From this ailment, turkeys and chickens most often suffer. Pathology is common in many countries. In this article we will consider the basic methods of dealing with it.
Description
So, what is this disease? The disease is also known by such names as the Asian plague of birds, or pseudo-plague. The reason is an infection from the group of paramyxoviruses. Newcastle disease is not particularly dangerous for humans. However, if you come in contact with an infected animal, a mild flu-like illness may appear.
This viral disease of birds can cause:
- brain damage
- pneumonia;
- damage to internal organs.
The causative agent of the disease is paramyxovirus. Its shape depends on the species and strain. Each of which has its own symptoms. Some of them are harmless, while others pose a mortal danger.
According to the degree of pathogenicity, the strains are divided into:
- cyclic;
- mesogenic;
- stripogenic.
All strains are highly resistant. They are able to maintain their condition even for two years in frozen carcasses of carriers.
Historical reference
The first pseudo-plague of birds was discovered in 1926 by a scientist named Kraneveld. A year later, they began to diagnose it on farms in Asia, Europe and America. The English researcher Doyle observed this disease near the city of Newcastle. Hence the name of the pathology.
In the United States, the ailment in question was first described in 1935. In the early 40s, Newcastle disease spread very much throughout Europe.
Economic damage
The specific symptoms of Newcastle disease are very difficult to isolate. It can take place in various forms and vary in severity. With a mild form, the bird simply weakens, meat productivity and egg production decrease. Severe forms of the disease often lead to death. Pseudo-plague of birds often leads to the death of most of the livestock. The economic damage is significant. With a severe form of the disease, 95% of infected individuals can die. Quarantine and preventive measures are also very expensive. Vaccination in the management of personal subsidiary plots is very expensive.
Signs of the virus
It is wise to familiarize yourself with them before you start breeding poultry. Indeed, knowledge of diseases and methods of their prevention is the weapon of any farmer. The incubation period for infection with Newcastle disease is small, it is from three to twelve days. The clinical picture can be completely different. It is determined by the strain of the virus, as well as the age and individual characteristics of the individual. For example, Newcastle disease in chickens proceeds differently than in adults. The treatment is also different.
Poultry carry the disease in different ways. But you can highlight a number of the most common symptoms:
- temperature rise up to 43 degrees;
- the appearance of diarrhea in yellow, green or gray;
- blue crest;
- runny nose, cough, mucus in the mouth and nasal cavity;
- conjunctivitis;
- swelling of the head, neck and chest;
- trembling of the head, paralysis of wings and paws;
- occurrence of coordination problems;
- eggshell too thin.
If the disease is mild, most of the symptoms are not observed. Only a slight tremor and convulsions appear.
Symptoms of Newcastle disease are similar to bird flu, infectious bronchitis and other diseases. Therefore, making an accurate diagnosis is extremely difficult. Only a differential diagnosis can accurately determine the virus. She immediately considers several factors in the aggregate - data on the epidemiological situation, laboratory examinations with the release of the pathogen and characteristic signs. Bioassays are taken from birds to determine the virus. Large embryos can also be infected. For this purpose, as a rule, various cell cultures are used. Quite accurate results are also given by studies of the amniotic fluid of dead embryos.
Examination of all the inhabitants of the house and the autopsy of the dead individual allows only a preliminary diagnosis to be made. In order to accurately state the disease, it is necessary to be able to distinguish pseudo-plague from influenza, pasteurellosis, infectious bursitis and other diseases. Diagnosis of Newcastle disease can only be carried out by a veterinarian after carrying out all the necessary tests and examinations.
Sources of infection
Let's dwell on this issue in more detail. Where does Newcastle disease come from in chickens? The main source is sick birds. They carry the virus into the environment with their secretions and respiration. During the day after infection, the chicken continues to be a source of the disease. In the body of sick birds, the virus can persist for 6 months. If the infection enters the body of the remaining birds, they can become sick.
From an infected chicken, the disease can be transmitted in the following ways:
- through food;
- by ventilation system and by air;
- through the litter;
- through the inventory, shoes and clothing of a person who was in contact with infected individuals.
Newcastle disease in chickens can also be transmitted from an infected bird to chickens hatching from laid eggs. Other probable sources of infection include wild birds and rodents.
Treatment
How to choose it and find effective drugs? Newcastle disease has been known for quite some time, but effective methods for its treatment have not yet been developed. For this reason, the bulk of the infected livestock is simply destroyed. Treating an infected bird (especially when it comes to a large farm) is simply not practical. In the worst case, you will infect all the birds. Most often, a sick individual is disposed of by strangulation. After that, the corpse is buried and covered with quicklime. Some farmers generally recommend burning corpses. Ways to combat the virus will depend on the type of bird. Let's look at a few of the most common cases.
Chickens disease
Cases of damage to chickens by pseudo-plague are observed quite often. At the same time, individuals did not contact adult chickens. In order to prevent such cases, it is necessary to vaccinate chickens. Three days after the vaccine is administered, the birds will receive immunity.
The pseudo-plague virus dies when treated with ultraviolet and boiling water. For this reason, special lamps are installed in chicken coops. If you intend to give the birds eggs and meat as food, these products must first be cooked.
Ailment of geese
The immunity of these birds is much better than that of chickens, but they are also often affected by Newcastle disease. Often geese are only carriers of the virus without much harm. The number of deaths among this species is much lower. The risk of human infection from an infected individual is quite high. Chicks of this poultry also need a vaccine against pseudo-plague.
Pseudo-Plague in Ducks
How does it manifest? Ducks can also be carriers of pseudo-plague. It is necessary to ensure that these poultry do not contact their wild counterparts. For prevention, it is also recommended to keep the room clean. Rodents can also be carriers of the disease. For this reason, it is recommended that deratization be carried out regularly in the house.
How the disease proceeds in turkeys
Newcastle disease in turkeys can occur in both acute and sluggish form. In lightning-fast flow, the bird suddenly dies without any pronounced symptoms. The acute course of the disease is accompanied by fever, lethargy, inactivity and syndromes of damage to the nervous system.
This type of poultry tolerates the disease in acute form for 3-4 days. This is the standard duration of the pathological process. In rare cases, Newcastle disease in turkeys lasts 14 days. It is also worth considering that the best way to combat the disease is timely prevention. The house should be regularly treated with ultraviolet light. Upon reaching a certain age, a vaccine for Newcastle disease is given to birds.
How is the disease manifested in pigeons
Every day, poultry is gaining popularity. Many today breed pigeons at home. One of the most common viral ailments for these birds is pseudo-plague, or vertichka. The sooner you start treating Newcastle disease in pigeons, the greater the chance of success. First, show the bird to the veterinarian. Given the well-being of the individual and the condition of the livestock, the specialist will prescribe the appropriate treatment. In the early stages, the disease can be cured. Typically, Piracetam is used for this purpose. This medication is used to maintain the bird's central nervous system. Treatment is carried out in combination with vitamin therapy.
How do other birds tolerate the disease? Symptoms and methods of controlling the infection are no different. It is necessary to follow the rules of sanitation and vaccination in a timely manner. In this case, you can avoid the death of a livestock.
Preventative measures
This issue should be given special attention. Since pseudo-plague treatment methods have not yet been developed, the prevention of Newcastle disease is of great importance. To minimize the likelihood of the occurrence of the disease, it is necessary to promptly administer the vaccine to the birds and not neglect sanitary measures. It is also important to provide pets with a balanced diet, create comfortable living conditions. If the individuals are strong and strong, they are more likely to successfully overcome the disease.
Sanitary measures must include regular disinfection of the room, which contains chickens. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the virus dies almost immediately. Therefore, for prevention, it is recommended to put a special lamp in the house. It is important to prevent any contact of poultry with wild birds. They can be a source of disease.
For disinfection, substances such as Phenol, Chloroform, Formaldehyde are best suited. If possible, it is necessary to provide access to sunlight in the room. You can use ultraviolet lamps in your bird habitat. To prevent wild birds from entering the house, the ventilation openings should be covered with grilles. If you have a large farm with several rooms, then it is necessary to adapt labeled overalls for visiting each. When acquiring a new bird population, it should not be immediately placed in the old one. Try to quarantine for a month. Here are some basic guidelines for bird sanitation.
Vaccination
What you need to know about this? Any instruction to combat Newcastle disease involves one important step. This is a vaccination. The event allows to prevent the appearance of pseudo-plague among poultry. Inoculation of chickens is done at the age of one day. For this purpose, drugs in the form of sprays and drops are used. Immunity after application of the vaccine develops 96 hours. Young animals over 10 days old and adult birds can also be vaccinated. Better if the use of vaccines is determined by the veterinarian. Many factors should be taken into account at once, for example, the epidemiological situation in the region.
In what cases it will be advisable to vaccinate:
- If within 7 km from the house there are large farms or a poultry farm with a large concentration of poultry. You can increase the radius to 10 km.
- Cases of Newcastle disease were previously observed in the county.
- Before that, outbreaks of the virus had already occurred in the household.
Live and inactivated vaccines are used as vaccines. Inoculations of the first type are usually given to young individuals and chickens, since they provide protection against the disease for 3-4 months. For broilers, this is enough. For layers, it is better to choose another option. After inactivated agents, the bird develops immunity for up to a year.
What is the schedule for vaccination? If we are talking about young egg breeds, then it is worth vaccinating with an inactivated vaccine aged 130 to 150 days. Live apply twice - in 30 and 60 days.
Broiler breeds can be vaccinated at the age of 10-15 days. At this time, they still have immunity acquired from the mother.
Experts recommend using an individual method of administering the vaccine. But with a large herd, this is not always possible. Then you can enter a live vaccine by evaporation. It is easy to do.
How is vaccination given by water? First, turn off ventilation in the house to reduce the flow of virus strains. Then the daily chickens are planted in a box. If you have several of them, then you need to put them tightly one to one. For these purposes, you can use special spray booths equipped with sprayers. Before use, the vaccine should be dissolved in a ratio of 100 doses per 200 ml of water. If you plan to introduce a protective drug to older chicks, then you can use the same dosage per liter of water, which should not contain iron and chlorine. The temperature of the liquid should be from 21 to 28 degrees. So that the birds do not worry before vaccination, experts recommend dimming the lighting. After that, the solution is poured into the nozzles built into the box or any other special designs. The container must be sterile and stable. The vaccine is distributed over the chicks from a height of about 30-40 cm. After this procedure, individuals should be separately kept from three days.
Before using the vaccine, it is necessary to determine the strain of a particular virus. For day-old chickens, strains C2, B1, VH and Hitchner are usually used. In homesteads, Bor74 and La Sota strains are also suitable. In areas of significant outbreaks of disease, chickens are introduced with the Gam61 and N. strains. Vaccines based on the Clone 30 component are not suitable for rural farmsteads. They are characterized by selective protection.
The following drugs are also suitable for use in rural areas:
- NPP Avivak;
- "ARRIAH" - inactivated vaccine;
- "ARRIAH" - dry live vaccine based on "La Sota";
- inactivated vaccine NPP Avivak.
Poultry is very susceptible to disease. She poses a great danger to them. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the choice of vaccine.
Adult birds are vaccinated only in case of urgent need. This procedure may adversely affect the productivity of laying hens. The vaccination process is recommended in the fall or spring. After using the drug, immunity appears only for 3-4 days. The period of protection will depend on the type of vaccine, the age of the individuals, the quality of the content and diet. Before vaccination, it is recommended to add vitamins A, B, D to the diet of birds. They help strengthen immunity and improve the general condition of birds. Such vitamin top dressing is recommended for ten days.
Symptoms of a disease in humans
How can they appear? Does Newcastle disease occur in humans? Symptoms of the disease often resemble ordinary flu. As a rule, the cause of infection is non-compliance with hygiene rules. You can also become infected by breathing in the dust that contains the virus. Often there are cases of infection with the virus by contact with the conjunctiva of the eye. The first symptoms of the disease: temperature and discomfort in the throat. Tinnitus and runny nose may also appear. The main difference between the virus and the common cold is an unpleasant itching in the eyes. To prevent the development of complications, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist.
There are no specific features for treating the virus. At the first symptoms, it is necessary to give the patient a plentiful warm drink with honey. Also, 2 tablets of Metronidozole should be taken twice a day. If the sick person is a small child, do not try to self-medicate. It is better to immediately contact a qualified specialist. The doctor will be able to accurately diagnose. Hospitalization may be required.
Many are interested in whether it is possible to eat meat and eggs obtained from infected chickens. It is enough to conduct heat treatment, after which these products can be consumed.
Conclusion
Newcastle disease is a rather unpleasant pathology that affects birds. The disease usually proceeds in an acute form. It is characterized by damage to the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory organs of birds. The consequence may be a massive loss of livestock. In vaccinated individuals, the disease proceeds without pronounced symptoms. Signs of the disease depend on the strain of the virus and the condition of the birds. The incubation period is from 3 to 7 days.
An acute course disease can destroy 60 to 90% of the livestock. To prevent this, it is necessary to take care of preventive measures in advance. These include vaccination and sanitation.