Avian flu in chickens: symptoms and treatment, signs and manifestations with photos

The symptoms of bird flu in chickens scare all owners of farms or private estates. The disease is extremely dangerous, it has another name - "classical plague", due to its high mortality. Pathology is fraught with great losses, human infection is possible. To safely prevent it, you should read the information below.

Description of the disease

The first mention of bird flu dates back to 1878. The pathological process was discovered by a veterinarian from Italy named Peronchitto. Due to the mass death of livestock, it was originally called "chicken plague".The disease belongs to subtype A, is caused by viral microorganisms. There is a defeat not only for poultry, but also for humans. Chicken flu usually develops in winter, affects one feathered population, then the rest.

Ducks, geese, chickens are at risk. Influenza is especially dangerous because of its constant mutability, it does not allow the protective properties of a person to fight it. Since the virus is virulent, transmission occurs via airborne droplets.

Stages of disease

Getting into the chicken lungs, viral agents spread through the mucosa. After 4 hours, they penetrate into the general circulation, destroy red blood cells, and lead to death. Viral microorganisms affect the nervous system, after which the lungs swell, the intestines fail.

What are the stages of the pathological process of viral etiology:

• infection, further reproduction and accumulation of the virus in the body;
• spread of viral agents to red blood cells;
• body produces antibodies to resist viruses;
• fight of protective functions against pathology, destruction of blood cells;
• the body cannot cope with the virus, it dies.

From 10% to 100% of birds kept in one area die.

Chicken Plague Shapes

There are several forms of viral disease. If we are talking about a severe phase, then for the first 15 hours of infection, a clinical picture occurs.

What are the forms of influenza disease:

• acute - the most life-threatening birds, the symptoms are pronounced;
• subacute phase - less dangerous for birds, lasts about 1 month, treatable;
• chronic form - the disease is difficult to detect, the clinical picture is mild, infection develops due to a low pathogenic strain.

The incubation period lasts about 4-5 days.

Is it possible to infect a person?

A person can get "chicken distemper" through airborne infection. This happens when cutting carcasses, assembling and packaging eggs, meat. Viral agents also enter the body when cleaning excrement, touching contaminated objects.

Infection rarely occurs after consumption of meat, eggs from affected individuals. Influenza has a mutational and often mutating character. He althy people can get bird flu from a sick person.

Causes in birds

Influenza disease is provoked by the Ortomyxoviridae virus, belonging to group A. It has a complex structure, the microorganism is able to show resistance to medical drugs.

Scientists studied several varieties of the virus, but they were more interested in the H7N7 type, which causes bird plague, and the H5N1 virus, from which birds die in a day. Other types of viral agents may be asymptomatic or mild and are generally not dangerous.

In addition to animals, carriers of pathogens can be:

• duck eggs;
• chicken eggs;
• carcasses of infected poultry.

The deadly H5N1 virus is also dangerous because it is invisible and easily adapts to the environment. Methods for its destruction have not yet been developed. The main carriers of influenza are wild waterfowl and migratory birds. They do not have mass diseases, usually only a few individuals are ill. Pathology proceeds without symptoms, but they are able to infect domestic birds or people.The second group of carriers of the virus include exotic birds, for example, parrots. Chickens can become infected from them if the owner of the house keeps these pets.

Clinical picture

The disease manifests itself with varying intensity, depending on the stage. The main symptoms of "chicken plague" include:

• dramatic drop in egg production;
• exhaustion, complete refusal to eat, drink;
• feathers are very ruffled;
• birds wheeze, their breath is fitful;
• temperature rises, it can reach 40-44 degrees;
• disordered stool noted, litter brown with a green tint;
• convulsive muscle contractions begin, neurotic behavior.

First of all, the nervous system is affected, chickens no longer navigate in space. They stagger, unable to stand on their feet, fall.

Deformation of the wings and neck occurs, they acquire a non-standard position, there is no reaction to external stimuli. Birds suffer from thirst, die after pulmonary edema.

How to identify chicken flu: diagnosis

Pathology is diagnosed after the autopsy of the dead carcass. Before the death of birds, infection can be determined by symptoms. In laboratory conditions, influenza is detected based on the isolation of a strain from pathological material. An analysis of blood serum is done at different stages of the disease. These signs indicate the presence of "chicken plague".

Is treatment possible?

It is useless to treat chickens for a viral disease, scientists have not come up with an optimal therapy. You can only take preventive measures on an ongoing basis. If bird flu has been detected in the nearest regions, the bird should be completely isolated, kept in a closed place for 21 days in quarantine.If primary symptoms are detected, call the veterinary service.

How to deal with sick individuals

All birds affected by the influenza virus are killed to prevent further spread of pathogens. It is recommended to burn carcasses in designated areas. It is undesirable to eat the meat of diseased individuals.

How to protect yourself from bird flu to humans

To prevent farmers from contracting avian influenza, the following rules should be followed:

• prevent children from interacting with wild waterfowl;
• if there are sick birds in the flock, when interacting with the whole group, wear a respirator, mask and gloves;
• use interchangeable shoes when working in the chicken coop, after washing hands and face thoroughly with soap, spray clothes with disinfectants to which viral agents are sensitive;
• always keep meat, eggs in separate containers in the refrigerator.

If a person has the first symptoms of chicken flu, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Forecast and prevention

According to experts, no prevention can guarantee 100% protection of birds from bird flu. If you act comprehensively, you can create a reliable barrier that can overcome viral microorganisms. The main preventive measures are as follows:

• keep chickens in the coop so they don't interact with wild birds;
• limit the access of domestic animals to water bodies, in the event of focal outbreaks - from possible places of stay of wild birds;
• strictly control the feed, water quality consumed by domestic birds;
• regularly disinfect feeders, drinkers and poultry houses;
• organize a balanced diet for chicks from their first days of life, introduce vitamins into the menu;
• if infection is suspected, spray Terramycin at a 20 cm distance from diseased chickens;
• disinfect birds with Chlortetracycline by adding it to feed mixers at the rate of 0.3 g per 1 kg of bird weight.

If preventive measures are followed, it will be possible to protect chickens from bird flu by 90%.

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