Among many diseases, mycoplasmosis in domestic chickens is the most common and develops even with a slight violation of the conditions of their keeping. 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.
Definition of disease
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 tissue are destroyed.
Both adults and young individuals at the embryonic stage are susceptible to mycoplasmosis.
The disease is diagnosed in many breeds, but most often broilers suffer from it due to low immunity.
Causes and routes of infection
The main cause of infection is the appearance of an infected individual in the chicken coop, which releases the bacteria when coughing, sneezing or eating feed. Mycoplasma can be spread over various distances by the movement of birds and hatching eggs.
Infection of chickens occurs from a sick hen at the embryonic stage, or later, through the respiratory system when released into the environment. The risk of developing pathology increases in birds with reduced immunity.
Another common cause of disease outbreaks among chickens is when the temperature drops too sharply after a hot summer. Even with a mild cold, immunity sharply decreases, and the body becomes susceptible to bacteria. A bird can become ill when placed in 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 autumn during damp and cold weather.
Symptoms of the disease
Outbreaks of the disease occur after chickens come into contact with infected individuals. In its development, mycoplasmosis can go through several stages:
- 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 the blood and muscle tissue.
- Second stage.The birds' appetite decreases, they become inactive, lethargic and begin to sneeze. Such symptoms appear only in a small number of infected individuals, while the rest are asymptomatic.
- Third stage. As the disease progresses to the next stage, symptoms such as coughing, intermittent breathing, increased salivation and foam from the beak appear. In addition, the sick bird refuses food. Additional signs of mycoplasmosis are red discoloration of the area around the eyes, swelling of the eyelids and wheezing. A characteristic symptom of the disease is stool disorder with the release of liquid droppings colored yellow or green.
- Fourth stage. At the final stage, the severity of symptoms is dulled, and the infected bird serves as a spreader of the infection.
Symptoms worsen with sudden changes in temperature, during periods of cold and dampness.
How to diagnose mycoplasmosis in chickens
It is quite difficult to identify pathology, since it often occurs in a latent form, and domestic chicken becomes a carrier of mycoplasmosis. On farms, a method called the serum droplet agglutination reaction is used to diagnose the disease. The procedure allows you to quickly determine the level of infection among birds.
Pathology can be detected 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 through polymer chain reaction analysis.
How to quickly and effectively cure a disease
The treatment regimen for the disease is selected by a veterinarian after identifying the pathogen.The infected bird is isolated from the chicken coop, because without quarantine the therapy will not bring any results.
Antibacterial treatment
Small farms provide individual treatment, which includes intramuscular injection of the antibiotic Tylosin. Injections are given once a day for a week.
On large farms, the medicine 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, a complex drug such as Furacyclin-M can be prescribed. Its constituent components are Tylosin and vitamin B. To eliminate the disease, antibiotics such as Aureomycin, Streptomycin and Oxytetracycline are selected.
Folk remedies
Alternative medicine recipes are allowed to be used as additional therapy to enhance 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 silk.
In addition, it is recommended to feed birds with glucose solution and goat milk.
Consequences and prevention
Mycoplasmosis has a negative impact on the overall well-being of the chicken and its health. 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.
With a mass disease, a large number of embryos die and infertility increases.
In addition, it is important to control the normal microclimate in the room where the chickens are kept. To exclude hidden carriage of pathology, 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, especially at the last stage. Eggs from 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 penetrate the body, there is a high risk of developing an inflammatory process in humans.
