How to treat smallpox in turkeys
Smallpox is one of the most dangerous diseases that can occur in any poultry. It can affect not only chickens and geese, but also turkeys. This disease develops due to a virus such as RNA, which can live for a long time. The virus does not die even at temperatures of 36 degrees and -15. Therefore, if smallpox appears in turkeys, then they are placed separately from healthy birds.
Smallpox in turkeys
The disease is easily transmitted and can live in the feathers and the pet's body for several months. Therefore, if you find a sick turkey on your farm, then it should be isolated.
Causes of the disease
The causative agent of such an unpleasant ailment is the viruses Avipoxvirus, Choropoxvirinae, Pox viridae.
If a bird has at least one of the above viruses in its body, then it will 100% fall ill with smallpox. Viral smallpox in turkeys in the photo looks like focal inflammation.
The virus of this disease can be killed with heat, ether, or regular alcohol. There are several types of ailment, and it is simply impossible to determine which of them the pet has instantly. Therefore, if you have any suspicions that the bird is sick with this disease, call your veterinarian.
How a turkey can get smallpox
Turkeys are the most susceptible poultry to smallpox virus.
They can get sick from a bird that has already picked up an ailment. And for this, the turkey must be in contact with a sick pet. Also, the virus can enter the body through stern, water and much more. Insects that can bite a bird are also carriers of the infection.
When the disease enters the body, it immediately damages the mucous membrane and only then the skin, the goiter also becomes inflamed. The incubation period is one and a half months. A turkey can get sick at any time of the year. But most often, smallpox affects pets in the fall, when the body is weakened.
Symptoms of the disease
In turkeys, the disease proceeds in the same way as in other poultry. As already mentioned, when the virus enters the body, it affects the mucous membrane, and then the skin.
Because of this, smallpox foci of different sizes appear. In order for infections to enter the bloodstream and other internal organs, it takes only a day. Smallpox in turkeys spreads very quickly throughout the body and affects all vital organs.
When the virus enters the body, small lymphoid formations appear on the skin. As the infection spreads through the mucous membrane, you can notice that the bird becomes difficult to breathe. Even if there are no visible lymphoid formations on the skin, this does not exclude smallpox.
During illness, turkeys cannot eat, drink or even breathe normally. Therefore, when one of the symptoms appears, the bird must be urgently treated. This is the only condition that will help keep the pet alive. After all, smallpox in turkeys often leads to their death. It is not worth treating the infection on your own; seek help from a veterinarian.
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to isolate the bird from the rest of the turkeys.Then check if other pets have not picked up this ailment. And only after all sick birds are collected in one place, you can start treatment.
What types of smallpox can affect turkeys
Different types of smallpox
Before you start treating a turkey, you need to decide on the type of smallpox. After all, each type has different symptoms and treatment methods. To find out, you need to contact your veterinarian. He will examine the bird, make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate therapy.
Smallpox forms in turkeys:
- cutaneous;
- diphtheria;
- atypical;
- mixed.
The skin type is most common in turkeys. With this type, the ailment spreads to those parts of the body on which there are no feathers. Lymphatic formations appear on the crest and around the eyes. The incubation period is six weeks. With this form of smallpox, about 5-8 percent of infected birds die.
The diphtheria type of ailment affects the respiratory tract of a turkey. Most often, this form manifests itself in the autumn, because it is at this time that the body of birds is weakened. With this type of smallpox, the pet cannot breathe normally, and this is the main symptom by which the diphtheria type of the virus is determined.
In the mixed form, the symptoms indicated in the first two types of smallpox appear. With this type of ailment, the mortality rate of sick turkeys is 50 percent. If this type shows up in a mild form, then after five weeks the bird will be completely healthy.
The atypical type of smallpox is the most dangerous. With it, the virus infects not only the internal organs, but also the eyes. If the turkey survives this disease, it will remain blind. And this is impossible to avoid.
Control methods and prevention
Treatment of smallpox in turkeys is a rather complicated and lengthy process. If at least one bird is sick, everyone must be drunk with an antiviral agent. This will avoid contaminating other pets. But if a domestic turkey still gets sick, it is necessary to start treatment.
For the treatment to give a result, you need to place the pet in a disinfected room. Then disinfect the place where the pet lived before. Next, you need to start saving the turkey. First, you need to wipe the affected skin with glycerin. The same place should be additionally treated with iodine in order to avoid the reappearance of the virus in this area.
If the virus has infected the nasopharynx, then they should be treated with boric acid. To avoid future complications, paracillin should be given to the bird along with water. Such treatment should be carried out for 7 days. If during this period the turkey does not feel better, then no other treatment will help. The pet will simply die.
In order to prevent the occurrence of smallpox, it is necessary for all poultry to be vaccinated. The first vaccination is given at the age of one and a half months. If the virus has actively developed throughout the farm, then all birds are killed and burned.
Conclusion
Smallpox in turkeys is a very dangerous disease that cannot be easily cured. Most often, if a bird has become infected with a virus, then it clog... But, if she has had smallpox, then immunity will develop for three years.
To avoid such a dangerous and unpleasant disease, the farmer is vaccinated. It is enough for about six months. Therefore, it is worthwhile to carry out the prevention of smallpox in turkeys twice a year.