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Paratyphoid & E-Coli
Paratyphoid / Salmonella - Paratyphoid in pigeons is an acute or chronic
bacterial disease caused by Salmonella. The primary means of infection
is through fecal contamination of feed, water or the environment.
The devastating nature of this disease is impacted by the occurrence of
asymptomatic carrier birds, which show no signs of illness and spread the
disease to other birds. The organism is located in the intestine
and may then intermittently shed through the feces. The disease in
squabs causes high mortality. Symptoms are usually evident soon after
hatching and appear as retarded growth, diarrhea and death. Necropsy
often reveals an unabsorbed yolk sack in addition to typical intestinal
lesions. Adult birds show a mild infection or be completely without
symptoms. Hens often develop infected ovaries and reproductive tract
leading to transmission to the egg and newly hatched chicks. Dropped
wings or leg lameness are symptoms. Another sign is joint swelling
or “wing boils”. Any stressful condition may make the symptoms apparent.
Other symptoms may be respiratory distress, anemia or twisted neck or loss
of balance. Also severe diarrhea and loss of weight. E-Coli can be
a harmless resident of the gut and yet is also capable of causing serious
illnesses. The majority of E-Coli strains reside permanently and
usually harmlessly in the pigeon’s intestinal system. At times, the
E-Coli can grow wildly, leading to illness. This wild growth may
be the result of over-crowding, nest area being dirty with droppings, humidity
and lack of vitamins (especially vitamin A). The greatest danger
is infection within the eggs or when the young is a few days old.
The slightly older pigeons may suffer severe inflammation of spleen and
of the liver and a large proportion may die. Symptoms may include
loss of appetite, ruffled up feathers, drinking large amounts of water,
vomiting and “going light”. It is difficult to diagnose based on
symptoms only, as E-Coli may also, like Paratyphoid, attack the joints
and cause swollen joints, limpness, one or both wings drooping, etc.
E-Coli can lead to infertility in males and infection of the ovaries, which
may cause embryos to die (called “black eggs”). Young may be more
severely affected and a higher proportion will become ill. Diarrhea
is very common and treatment should include electrolytes to replace the
lost fluids. All antibiotic treatments should be followed by pro-biotics.
Drinking water should NOT be alkaline and these conditions are produced
by the use of lime and disinfectants with substances like bleach.
Wash or sprinkle a clean, dry surface with water containing apple cider
vinegar which will create an acidic environment which resists E-Coli.
The long-term use of pro-biotics will greatly contribute to the prevention
of damage cause by E-Coli.
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