Dr.iCow’s Diary
Date: 12.02.2020
Dear Dr.iCow,
Kufura kwa kichwa na macho kufura ni ugonjwa gani na dawa gani?
What causes poultry to swell head and eyes and which disease and treatment to give?
From: Mr. Mutuku,County: Makueni, Kenya.
Discussion:
The chicken are having some raised swellings like pimples and some wounds. Their eyes do not seem to open fully and look swollen. They have not been given any vaccination. There are wart like lesions on the head and especially on the comb and wounds around the eyes and this is suggestive of Fowl pox which is a viral disease that affect chicken.
Dear Mr. Mutuku,
The chicken having swollen eyes, pimples and wounds or ulcers around the eyes could be suffering fromFowl pox disease caused by a pox virus. Introduction of infected birds in the flock would cause an outbreak by direct contact, through feed or water. Flying insects like mosquitoes can also transmit the virus from bird to bird and nearby flocks.
Fowl pox can be in 2 forms; i.- external or cutaneous, mainly on the head and lesions are wounds on the face as you have observed, combs cloaca, skin of legs, and the lesions are wart-like, yellow or dark brown in colour. ii. – internal or wet pox with lesions in the mouth, gullet and trachea. The lesions are cheesy and yellow-white in appearance and the bird have labored breathing, lack of appetite and are depressed.
For laying birds, there will be reduction in egg production. Treatment of infected chicken is difficult but local lesions can be treated with a disinfectant. Supplementation of infected chicken with multivitamins like Amilyte or Cosvita boost the chickens’ immunity against the disease and stress. Preventive vaccination is the most successful control method. In an outbreak of Fowl pox that has been diagnosed, it is advisable to vaccinate the chicken immediately so as to stop further spread of the infection. Fowl pox vaccine is given @ 3 weeks and 6 weeks of age, and is given as a wing jab.
Fowl pox is a viral infection of chicken seen as lesions in the skin in its cutaneous form, and lesions in the upper gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts in its wet or diphtheritic form. The skin lesions are on various parts of un-feathered skin of the chicken.
In the wet form the lesions develop on the mucous membrane of the mouth oesophagus, larynx pharynx and trachea. Preventive vaccination is by far the most successful control method. Because the infection spreads slowly, vaccination is always helpful in limiting the spread in affected flock, and therefore in an outbreak where fowl pox that has been diagnosed, it is advisable to vaccinate the flock immediately to stop further spread of the infection.
Thank you
From your friend and advisor,
Dr.iCow