Mycoplasmosis in chickens: causes, symptoms, methods of effective treatment and consequences

Among the many diseases, mycoplasmosis in domestic chickens is the most common and develops even with a slight violation of their conditions. This pathology is caused by an infection that progresses intracellularly. Mycoplasmosis is considered a rather dangerous disease, which is most often diagnosed in chickens and turkeys.

Disease definition

Mycoplasmosis is considered an infectious pathology that affects the respiratory tract. After mycoplasma synovium enters the respiratory system, the reproductive system of birds and muscle tissues are destroyed.

Mycoplasmosis affects both adults and juveniles at the embryonic stage.

The disease is diagnosed in many breeds, but most often it affects broilers due to low immunity.

Causes and routes of infection

The main cause of infection is the appearance in the chicken coop of an infected individual that releases a bacterium when coughing, sneezing or eating food. Mycoplasma can be spread over various distances by the movement of birds and hatching eggs.

Infection of chickens occurs from a sick cow at the stage of the embryo, or after, through the respiratory organs when released into the environment. The risk of developing pathology increases in birds with reduced immunity.

Another common cause of disease outbreaks in chickens is when temperatures drop too quickly after a hot summer. Even with a mild cold, immunity drops sharply, and the body becomes susceptible to bacteria.A bird can get sick when it enters another chicken coop, or after severe stress.

The causative agent of mycoplasmosis is transmitted by airborne droplets, but sometimes through food and water. The infection affects the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, and also penetrates the respiratory system. The peak of the disease is observed in the autumn period with wet and cold weather.

Symptoms of the disease

Outbreaks of the disease are noted after contact of chickens with infected individuals. In its development, mycoplasmosis can go through several stages:

1. Latent stage. It lasts from 12 to 21 days and is not accompanied by the development of pronounced symptoms. The pathogen spreads throughout the body, penetrating into the blood and muscle tissue.
2. Second stage. Birds have a reduced appetite, they become inactive, lethargic and begin to sneeze. Such symptoms appear only in a small number of infected individuals, and the rest of the disease is asymptomatic.
3. Third stage. When the disease progresses to the next stage, symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, increased salivation and foam from the beak appear. In addition, a sick bird refuses food. Additional signs of mycoplasmosis are red staining of the area around the eyes, swelling of the eyelids and wheezing. A characteristic symptom of the disease is a disorder of the stool with the release of liquid litter, colored yellow or green.
4. The fourth stage. At the final stage, the severity of symptoms is blunted, and the infected bird serves as a spreader of the infection.

Symptomatology worsens with sudden changes in temperature, during periods of cold and dampness.

How to diagnose mycoplasmosis in chickens

It is quite difficult to identify the pathology, because it often occurs in a latent form, and domestic chicken becomes a carrier of mycoplasmosis.In farms, a method such as a serum-drop agglutination reaction is used to diagnose the disease. The procedure allows you to quickly determine the level of infection among birds.

It is possible to detect pathology using a method such as a smear using a Petri dish filled with agar. It is possible to assess the genetic predisposition of chickens before infection due to the analysis of the polymer chain reaction.

How to quickly and effectively cure the disease

The veterinarian selects the treatment regimen for the disease after identifying the pathogen. An infected bird is isolated from the chicken coop, because without quarantine, the therapy will not bring any result.

Antibacterial treatment

In small farms, individual treatment is carried out, which includes intramuscular administration of the antibiotic Tylosin. Injections are made throughout the week 1 time per day.

In large farms, the medication is added to water or feed. The duration of treatment is determined by the number of sick chickens and the degree of their infection.

For birds, such a complex drug as Furacycline-M can be prescribed. Its constituent components are Tylosin and vitamin B. Antibiotics such as Aureomycin, Streptomycin and Oxytetracycline are selected to eliminate the disease.

Folk remedies

Recipes of alternative medicine are allowed to be used as an additional therapy to increase immunity. It is possible to achieve a positive effect with the help of herbal preparations based on:

• St. John's wort and black elderberry root;
• St. John's wort, chamomile, cornflower and corn stigmas.

In addition, it is recommended to solder birds with glucose solution and goat's milk.

Consequences and prevention

Mycoplasmosis has a negative impact on the general well-being of the chicken and its he alth. In the absence of effective therapy, both egg and meat productivity of birds decreases. This is due to the fact that they refuse to eat, drink and their mobility decreases.

When a mass disease occurs, a large number of embryos die and infertility increases.

In addition, it is important to control the normal microclimate in the room where chickens are kept. To exclude hidden carriage of pathology, an additional examination of embryos that died on the first day of incubation should be carried out.

Is it dangerous for humans

The virus does not pose a danger to the human body, but it is not recommended to eat the meat of an infected individual, and especially at the last stage. The eggs of sick chickens are not used to breed new offspring.

Mycoplasmosis is dangerous for humans because pathologies such as trichomoniasis, staphylococcus and others progress against its background. When such viruses enter the body, there is a high risk of developing an inflammatory process in humans.

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