Newcastle disease in chickens
Newcastle disease is an infection of poultry and other bird species with the virulent Newcastle disease virus in chickens (NDV). It is a worldwide problem that is primarily acute respiratory illness. With such a disease, chickens can be depressed, behave nervously, such signs are most often characteristic of the clinical form. The severity depends on the virulence of the infecting virus and the susceptibility.
Newcastle disease in chickens
Newcastle disease strains are highly resistant. Newcastle disease could lead to trade restrictions. For a person, the infection is not particularly scary, but it can manifest itself in the form of conjunctivitis and inflammation. To protect your herd from such a disease, vaccination of the strain is recommended against Nkasle disease. All varieties and symptoms of Newcastle disease can be studied in more detail in a photo or video.
Etiology and pathogenesis of the disease
Newcastle avian disease NDV and Newcastle disease virus, synonymous with avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (PMV-1), is an RNA virus and the most important of the 11 known PMV serotypes as a pathogen for poultry. Clinical manifestations range from high morbidity and mortality to asymptomatic infections. The severity of the infection depends on the virulence of the virus and age, immune status and susceptibility.
Infected individuals can pick up and spread the virus in exhaled air, respiratory discharges and feces. The pathogen seeps during incubation, during the clinical stage and during a different but limited period during convalescence. The virus can also be present in eggs laid during clinical form and in all parts of the carcass during acute infections.
Chickens easily contract Newcastle Disease by ingesting contaminated water or food. Infected chickens and other poultry and wild birds can be sources of NDV. Movement of infected birds and transmission of the virus, especially through infectious faeces, movement of people and contaminated equipment or bedding, are the main methods of spreading viruses between flocks. The panacea in any case is a vaccine to prevent Newcastle disease.
Symptoms of Newcastle disease in chickens
Newcastle disease is always rapid in chickens and symptoms appear throughout the flock within 2-12 days (average 5). The spread of Newcastle disease is slower if the faecal-oral route is the primary means of transmission, especially for caged birds. Newcastle disease in chickens and its symptoms mainly affect young birds. Symptoms depend on whether the infecting virus has a predilection for the respiratory, digestive, or nervous systems.
Signs of Newcastle disease in domestic chickens
- Nervous tremors
- Paralyzed wings and legs
- Twisted necks
- Spinning cramps
- Complete paralysis
In domestic chickens, respiratory signs with depression, greenish diarrhea, and swelling of the scalp may also occur in some cases. Such symptoms are most typical for the virulent form of the disease. Chickens and young turkeys affected by Newcastle Disease may exhibit varying degrees of inadequacy. In chickens, it most often stops egg production... Even if eggs are produced, they may be abnormal in color, shape or surface and have a watery white. Mortality is variable, birds can die up to 100% of cases.
vaccinated birds if vaccinated against the strain may not show any signs of infection, except for reduced egg production, but these birds will spill the virus in saliva and feces. Poorly vaccinated birds can develop tortoiseshell. Also, ataxia or platelets 10-14 days after infection can be restored with supportive therapy. How Newcastle bird disease manifests itself on chickens can be seen in more detail in a photo or video.
Chicken treatment
When Newcastle chicken disease appeared, it was useless to treat them. Even after treatment for 1 year, chickens are considered a carrier of the virus. And as a result, the products, that is, eggs and meat, are dangerous for consumption and sale. As a preventive measure, vaccination is the only effective remedy. In fact, a vaccine is a cure for Newcastle disease. Basically, this vaccine is given to newborn chickens. The drugs are available for chickens, turkeys and pigeons and are used to induce antibody responses, so vaccinated applications must be exposed to a higher dose.
Unfortunately, ND vaccines do not provide sterile immunity. For each drug there is an instruction and it must be strictly adhered to. Mainly strains B1 and LaSota, are widely used and are usually administered to poultry by mass application in drinking water or spray. Some farmers use the H-strain virus vaccine to ensure the safety of their livestock. Alternatively, live vaccines are administered individually through the nostrils or the conjunctival sac.
Vaccination of chickens
Healthy chickens are vaccinated as early as 1-3 days of age. Delaying vaccination until the second or third week prevents the maternal antibody from interfering with the active immune response. Mycoplasma and some other respiratory tract bacteria, if present, can act synergistically with some vaccines to aggravate the reaction after administration. The frequency of revaccinations to protect chicks throughout their life depends largely on the risk of infection. Accidental inoculation of human tissue with oil vaccines requires surgical treatment.
Recommendations for preventing the spread of the disease
In Newcastle disease, all NDVs can cause transient conjunctivitis in humans, but the condition has been limited primarily to laboratory workers exposed to high numbers of viruses. Before vaccination of poultry was widely practiced, conjunctivitis from NDV infection occurred in crews who worked with poultry in processing plants. The disease has not been reported in people who plant poultry or consume poultry products. If such viruses are found in your farm, you should quarantine for at least 30 days to resolve the condition in the poultry house. During quarantine, the farmer should restrict the passage of unauthorized people to the enterprise.
Protective clothing and gloves must be worn when handling infected chickens. After handling infected chickens, completely disinfect the chicken coop, clothes, inventory. If you have managed to prevent the spread of the virus outside your house, then follow the guidelines.Meat or eggs of birds diagnosed with Newcastle disease cannot be sold. the chicken coop should be completely disinfected, litter replace with new ones. If perches are contaminated with feces and excreta from infected birds, they must also be replaced.
Even after quarantine has been lifted, individuals remain under constant surveillance and are considered for some time to be the carrier of the Newcastle threat virus.
In order not to make your business bankrupt, you should take all preventive measures to prevent such an infection. First of all, it is recommended to vaccinate chickens without fail. If you know that there is a poultry farm in the area within a radius of 10 km and an outbreak of Newcastle disease was recorded there, then the chickens are vaccinated out of turn. After the vaccine is administered and several weeks before the vaccine is administered, the diet of the birds should be changed. It is necessary to add more vitamins and a variety of foods to the daily menu in order to strengthen the immunity of chickens.