Twirl in pigeons: symptoms of Newcastle disease, treatment and prevention

Virtyachka, or Newcastle disease, in pigeons proceeds at lightning speed (asymptomatically) or with severe clinical signs. This dangerous disease, also called Asian plague, often leads to the death of the entire population of birds. You can prevent worms with vaccination. Immunization is the only way to insure pigeons against this deadly bird disease.

Causes of whirling in pigeons

Newcastle disease is caused by an RNA-containing virus from the paramyxovirus genus. The pathogen is sensitive to ultraviolet light, and a temperature of +100 degrees Celsius kills it in one minute.The virus persists for years at sub-zero temperatures and in frozen bird carcasses. The pathogen can be in the soil, dirty bedding, on tools. You can disinfect the territory and objects using alcohol, caustic soda, phenol, formaldehyde.

The virus infects adult pigeons and small chicks. Birds can become infected with this disease from sick inhabitants of the poultry yard, as well as through contaminated feed, water, bedding, soil, feathers, eggs, inventory. Newcastle disease also spreads aerogenically. Infection with swirls occurs through the respiratory organs, mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, gastrointestinal tract (orally).

A nuisance disease is most severe in adults with a weakened immune system due to poor nutrition, and chickens.

Symptoms of disease

Signs and characteristics of the spinner:

• incubation period is 2-7 (rarely 9-21) days;
• whirlpool develops at lightning speed, acutely, subacutely or chronically;
• with a lightning current, pigeons suddenly die for no apparent reason or symptoms;
• acute pathology is characterized by fever, depression, immobility, loss of appetite, clouding of the cornea, discharge of mucus from the mouth and nose, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath;
• developing in the digestive system, the virus causes watery diarrhea;
• with the slow development of the disease and damage to the nervous system, signs of encephalomyelitis are noticeable (uncertain walking, paralysis of the limbs or wings, tremor, convulsions, torticollis with a turn of the neck up to 180 degrees);
• whirlpool may present with symptoms of pneumonia, digestive and nervous disorders, or only one type of clinical sign;
• with lightning disease, death occurs within a few hours;
• in case of an acute course of a whirlwind, pigeons can die on the 4th day;
• the subacute phase has smoothed symptoms and a low percentage of death (about 30%);
• when autopsy of dead diseased birds, multiple pinpoint hemorrhagic lesions of internal organs are found;
• possible chronic phase that does not lead to death, but causes irreversible nervous breakdown (inability to fly).

Methods of diagnosing the disease

Twirl is diagnosed based on clinical signs and laboratory tests. During the outbreak of an epidemic, the carcass of a dead bird must be provided to the laboratory. As a result of pathological and laboratory studies, the virus that caused the disease in pigeons is isolated and identified. When Newcastle disease is confirmed, treatment is given to living sick birds.

How to Treat Pigeon Wriggle

Newcastle disease is treated early. Sick pigeons must be transferred to quarantine (transplanted to a separate room). In advanced cases, treatment is inappropriate. Birds with a severe course of the disease are recommended to be disposed of.

Drugs

Virtyachka is treated with drugs that can be bought at any veterinary pharmacy. In case of detection of signs of Newcastle disease, pigeons are prescribed "Fosprenil". This is a drug with antiviral, immunomodulatory properties. The drug activates the production of interferon in the body of birds, which begins to fight viruses.

Drug for oral use can be added to drinking water, instilled into the pigeon's mouth. This drug is available as a solution for injection (injections are made into the breast). The duration of the medication is 5-10 days.

Together with Fosprenil, sick birds are prescribed Piracetam or Cerebrolysin. These medicines support the nervous system of pigeons. In parallel with these two drugs, the birds are given pharmaceutical vitamins and minerals ("Gamavit"). In some cases, Karsil is prescribed to maintain the functioning of the liver. In case of infection, an antibiotic is prescribed, and then probiotics. The dosage of any medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Folk remedies and recipes

Pigeon whirlwind is not a new disease. The virus existed long before the advent of pharmaceutical drugs, which are currently used to combat the pathogen and treat birds. Among the people, the whirlwind is treated with improvised means.

Sick pigeons are advised to drink a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. To replenish the body with vitamins, birds are added to the feed with chopped spruce needles, onions and garlic. Sick individuals can be watered with a decoction of chamomile, St. John's wort, nettle. Some pigeon breeders treat the fluke with olive oil and lemon juice, this mixture is used to solder diseased pigeons.

At the time of the acute course of the disease, it is recommended that birds be given plenty of water and light vitamin feeds (cottage cheese, curdled milk, egg yolk, crushed corn, sprouted wheat, oat, barley grains).

Danger to humans

Pigeon whirlwind can get sick people in contact with sick birds (pigeon breeders, veterinarians, laboratory assistants). Sometimes a person has signs of conjunctivitis and a cold. The virus enters the human body through the respiratory system, mouth, and mucous membranes of the eyes. You may feel worse, runny nose, cough, swollen parotid lymph nodes.

True, human infection with Newcastle disease occurs in isolated cases. Susceptibility to this bird disease affects only people with weak immunity and a tendency to allergies. Twirling is a disease of pigeons, for humans, in most cases, it is not dangerous.

Prevention measures

The spread of the worm is easier to prevent than to cure. First of all, domestic pigeons are recommended to be protected from contact with birds of prey, carriers of the virus. In the dovecote, it is necessary to regularly clean and disinfect the premises. It is desirable to vaccinate he althy pigeons. Immunization increases the resistance of birds to the virus. Vaccination will save the lives of pigeons.

Several types of live vaccines against Newcastle disease have been developed. It is recommended to vaccinate birds twice. Adult pigeons are vaccinated before hatching eggs (in early spring) and in autumn, before the start of molting.Birds become immune to the virus 48-96 hours after vaccination.

Vaccination is carried out in different ways: instillation, aerosol injection, drinking, intramuscular injection. A small percentage of vaccinated pigeons do not develop antibodies to the virus. Vaccinations are given only to he althy birds. If pigeons are found to have signs of fluff, quarantine is imposed on all poultry farms (for 40 days).

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