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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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List as many things as you can to improve flock health (management points):
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All-in, All-out
Isolate young birds from old Change litter Clean and disinfect Don't overcrowd birds Follow a good vaccination program Parasite control Temp, humidity, drafts Dispose of dead birds properly Biosecurity ....etc |
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T/F Disposing of dead birds daily at communal multi-farm drop off points is an acceptable means of disposal.
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False; there is a great risk of contamination between farms
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** What is the single most important diagnostic procedure?
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Necropsy
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When performing necropsy, what are your preferences?
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Fresh dead, and get some sick and wll birds if possible.
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* When you go out to a farm to do a physical exam, what three parts should always be examined?
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1. The environment
2. The whole flock 3. Individual birds |
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Lay term for an egg laid in a house and found on the ground, not laid in a nest box.
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Floor egg...never collect them for use
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Name three things (or more) that can be done to prevent contamination of eggs.
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Collect them often (conveyor belts)
Have laying facility made to minimize fecal contamination Wash eggs that are not very dirty Have sanitized facilities |
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T/F servicing of day-old broiler chicks involves beak and toe trimming.
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False; poults, not chicks.
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What are the two big classes of things that cause early mortality in chicks/poults?
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1. Mismanagement
2. Infectious disease |
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If any part of the poultry production system is going to give the largest number of birds a disease, which one is it?
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The hatchery, because most birds go through a small number of hatching facilities from many farms.
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What are things you need to monitor in a hatchery for good, clean birds?
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Heat, humidity, air exchange, egg turning, constant temperatures, single direction flow
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Name 4 causes of early mortality from mismanagement (ie- things that can kill day-old birds)
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Bad temperature
Bad ventillation Starve-outs, not finding water Persecution Toxicosis Improper servicing (nail and beak trims) Poor birds coming from hatcheries |
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D
Many very young birds in a house have conjunctivitis and there is nasty litter along with almost no ventillation in the house. |
Ammonia, avoid over 20 ppm
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D
Poults were placed earlier this week but now some of the birds are being found dead. Their yolks have had time to be absorbed and they appear thin, small compared to the live birds. 1. Differential 2. Diagnostics and expected findings |
1. Starve-out; happens more in 4-5 day old poults; never ate
2. Necropsy; empty, bile-stained belly with shavings in the stomach. |
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What can cause starve-out in birds?
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Overcrowding
Lameness Low social status Not enough food Can't reach food |
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* The yolk sac in most birds disappears by days ______ of age
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3-5
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D
You notice the waterers are too high in a house of chickens, and many 4 day old birds are dying. 1. Differential 2. Diagnostics and expected findings |
1. Dehydration, causing visceral gout
2. Necropsy: White chalky material on serosal surfaces, mottled swollen kidneys. |
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What are some things that can lead to persecution in birds?
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Boredom
A bird becoming 'interesting'...poop on butt Lighting schedule Weak bird Inadequate resources |
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D
Many local farms are experiencing high mortality in birds that were placed this week. The watering systems appear to be working. You learn that the feed was improperly mixed and it contains too much salt. What would you expect to find on necropsy? |
Edematous, fluffy watery organs
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You find a young turkey with a huge crop. What are two possible causes?
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1. Crop impaction from sticky food
2. Overeating because food is not always available. |
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'Navel Ill", "Mushy chick disease"
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Omphalitis
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T/F Omphalitis is an acute, infectious disease of young birds, characterized by inflammation of the navel, an infected yolk sac, and edema.
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True
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T/F Omphalitis can be the result of infection of the egg at a breeder farm or hatchery.
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True. An unclean environment after the birds have hatched can also let bugs into a closing navel.
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D
You find several dead two-day old chicks on a farm, with squishy bellies and inflammation around the site. "Buttons and strings" |
Omphalitis
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List several common pathogens that like to cause omphalitis.
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E. coli
Pseudomonas Salmonella Proteus |
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At processing, a chicken is found to have a large, walled-off abscess in it's belly. What was the likely cause?
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Omphalitis, that the bird sectioned off, as birds are good at that.
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* At necropsy, what should the yolk sac look like in a bird with omphalitis?
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Unabsorbed; it happens acutely and the infection often involves the yolk sac.
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Is omphalitis contagious?
What is the treatment? |
No, birds cannot spread it to each other.
Cull affected birds, try to improve sanitation at the hatchery and processing. |
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Is Aspergillosis contagious?
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No, though it is infectious.
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* You suspect Aspergillosis as a cause of death from pneumonia in a chicken, but until you have culture/diagnosis, you have to call it _____ ______.
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Mycotic pneumonia
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What species of Aspergillosis is the most common one to cause disease in birds?
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A. fumigatus
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D
You see several birds in a damp house with "respiratory distress" and on necropsy they have "caseous plaques in the lungs and air sacs". Though you have to wait for the lab results to say for sure, what are you thinking? |
Aspergillosis
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T/F Most birds infected at a young age with Aspergillosis will die, but there will be a few chronic cases.
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True
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Aspergillus tends to come from _____.
T/F Aspergillus spores are too big to penetrate egg shells. |
The environment
False, it can and infect the embryo |
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By what route are birds infected with Aspergillus?
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Respiratory route.
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"Brooder pneumonia"
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Aspergillosis
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What are some less common signs of Aspergillosis in birds?
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Diarrhea
CNS Conjunctivitis Emaciation Late embryo mortality |
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What are some drugs that can be used to treat Aspergillosis in birds?
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Nystatin
Amphotericin-B Ketoconazole |
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* This Mycoplasma species infects only turkeys and can cause early mortality of day-old poults, with foamy airsacculitis.
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Mycoplasma meleagridis
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In what ways can Mycoplasma meleagridis be transmitted?
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Vertical: Mom to egg (transovarian)
Horizontal: Bird to bird |
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One Ddx for white nodules in lungs, airsacs, trachea, bluish airsacs.
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Aspergillus fumigatus
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How do you definitively diagnose Aspergillus fumigatus?
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Culture and identification, histopath on smears.
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D
Foamy airsacculitis in day-old poults. |
Mycoplasma meleagridis
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* What are the two main CNS diseases of young poultry?
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1. Encephalomyelitis
2. Encephalomalacia |
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D
Young chickens have "ataxia, downward/backward retraction of heads, twisted bodies, paddling, and are found dead." Before necropsy, what is your top differential? 1. Cause? |
Encephalomalacia
Deficiency of stable/active Vitamin E |
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"Cherry red cerebellum"
General cause: |
Encephalomalacia
From free radical damage because not enough Vitamin E in the diet. This is also the causative agent of white muscle disease so may see a pale gizzard. |
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Age of onset for Encephalomalacia?
Histopathology findings? |
15-30 days
Demyelination and neuronal degeneration. |
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D
You are presented with young chickens who have "incoordination, fine tremors, ataxia and paralysis". What is one differential? Cause? Prevention? |
Encephalomyelitis
A viral infection (hepatovirus) C&D, vaccinate mothers and obtain young from virus-free flocks. |
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What is one big difference between gross lesions for encephalomalacia and encephalomyelitis?
How do you definitively diagnose both? |
Encephalomalacia: Cherry red cerebellum
Encephalomyeltis: No real gross lesions Histopathology |
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What are the histopathology findings for birds with encephalomyelitis?
T/F All birds with this infection die. |
"Perivascular cuffing, disseminated, nonpurulent encephalomyeltitis"
False, some birds are chronically infected without signs, may develop cataracts, females may lay small eggs. |
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Which of these is a reportable disease in NC?
Encephalomalacia Encephalomyeltitis |
Encephalomyelitis: It is caused by a virus
Encephalomalacia: It's just nutritional, no reason to report. |
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*With splay leg, the luxation is usually at the ______ but it can also happen at the _____.
What are the predisposing factors for this problem? |
Usually at the knee, sometimes at the hip.
Slippery surfaces and overcrowding at hatching. |
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Rickets occurs more in ______ chickens/turkeys. Why?
What vitamin needs to be supplemented? |
Turkeys, since they have a higher need for D3.
D3 (Ca and Phos may not be a bad idea either). Birds do not convert D2 to D3 well since they do not get much sunlight in houses. |
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Name as many signs of rickets as you can:
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Insufficient calcification of bones (soft, flexible)
Beading at the rib-spine junction Long bones of legs most affected/visible = bowed legs Soft beak Poor feathering Curvature changes in ribs anad spine. |
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D
You see almost an entire flock of turkeys lame, and on necropsy you find "soft beaks, clubbed ribs, and bowed legs." It becomes clear that a feed mixing error has happened. You think: What do you do? |
Rickets
Supplement D3 |
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T/F Salmonella can be transmitted on eggs
T/F Every case of Salmonella must be reported. |
True
False, there are two of importance to poultry that are reportable: S. pullorum S. gallinarum |
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T/F The reportable poultry Salmonellas are important because they commonly cause disease in humans.
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False; the reportable poultry species are very host-specific and do not commonly cause human disease.
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Name the causative agent of:
Pullorum disease Fowl Typhoid |
Pullorum disease = S. pullorum
Fowl Typhoid = S. gallinarum |
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D
An acute, highly fatal disease of chickens and turkeys characterized by "white diarrhea" and "focal necrosis of various organs", with depression, anorexia, and increased water consumption. |
Pullorum disease, but remember S. gallinarum can cause similar lesions and signs.
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Gray nodules on organs, white diarrhea, petechial hemorrhages in liver.
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Pullorum disease
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Cecal cores, one differential:
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Pullorum disease
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Why should antibiotics not be used in commercial poultry to treat Pullorum disease?
What should you do when you have cases of Fowl typhoid or Pullorum disease? |
Because it promotes having carrier birds.
Report it, and then notify the breeders because their flocks are not free. |
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How can you tell S. pullorum and S. gallinarum apart diagnostically?
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There is a blood-antibody test, can be done on-farm. You can also culture them and do serology.
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This general term for disease covers Salmonella species that are not host-specific and often cause disease in humans.
What primarily causes the disease with these forms of Salmonella? |
Paratyphoid
Endotoxins |
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"Sour crop", 'Thrush", "Crop Mycosis"
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Candida albicans
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D
This is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of birds and is quite common, leading to white, thickened areas of the crop. |
Candida albicans, Crop mycosis
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T/F Candida albicans is a normal gut fungus in birds.
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True, think pigeons
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Crop and mucosal surfaces covered with "diptheric membranes", "turkish towel", thickened, white, with cheesy exudate.
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Candida albicans
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* How do you diagnose Candida albicans infection?
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Necropsy may show characteristic lesions.
Take a smear and look at it for budding yeasts, hyphae and pseudohyphae. May stain, culture, and try to isolate as well. |
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Wht two things can you do to treat a Candida infection in a flock?
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1. Antifungals (Mycostatin, gentian violet) in the feed, Copper sulfate in the water.
2. Correct the stressors in the environment that let the fungi take hold. |
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This practice can predispose birds to developing a Candida infection.
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Overuse/long-term use of antibiotics knocking down normal gut flora.
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T/F Coccidiosis is one of the most destructive and costly diseases affecting the poultry industry.
Each Eimeria species is very species-specific, and it is mostly a disease of _______ birds because ____. |
True ($100 million a year)
Young birds, because they develop immunity to individual species as they mature. |
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The main sign of an Eimeria infestation, caused by a _______ is _____ and _____.
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Protozoal parasite
Diarrhea and enteritis |
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What kind of diarrhea should you expect to see in a bird with coccidia? (Color, appearance)
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Mucoid, brown, may have flecks of blood
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What is one finding on a necropsy of a bird with coccidiosis to help you determine the specific species?
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Which part of the GI tract is affected; each species has a preference.
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T/F Anti-coccidials are effective in treating Eimeria.
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False, because all of them are not equally effective across the species, and there is fear the protozoa are becoming resistant from multiple uses of single agents, so keeping the environment clean and secure is the way to go.
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"Mud fever", "Blue comb"
(just if you ever hear the term) |
Viral Enteritis = Coronavirus
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Viral enteritis is caused by a ______ that is _____ ____ and infects ______.
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A coronavirus that is highly contagious and infects turkeys.
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* With Eimeria, are its oocysts infective once shed or does it need time to sporulate to be infective?
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Eimeria needs time to become infective.
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How can the Viral Enteritis virus be passed (all that apply):
- Fecal-oral - Mother to egg - Fomites/indirect fecal-oral |
Fecal oral, both direct and indirect
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D
You are presented with a flock of underweight, sick turkeys, who are anorexic, have frothy, watery diarrhea, and who have blue cyanotic combs. |
Viral Enteritis = Coronavirus
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Poult Enteritis and Mortality Syndrome (PEMS) is often a result of these two organisms:
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Coronavirus (VE) and E. coli
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* What are things you can do to help you reach a diagnosis of Viral Enteritis?
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Histopathology, HSL, but none of these will give you a definitive diagnosis.
You need something more specific like IFA, serology, EM to know it is a Coronavirus. |
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What is the general idea when trying to treat any viral disease in poultry?
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There are not specific treatments and the virus just needs to run its course.
Minimize stress, give supportive care, and may use antibiotics to control/prevent secondary bacterial infections. |
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* If there is a huge and sudden spike in mortality in young turkeys dying from enteritis/diarrhea, what is your first guess?
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PEMS = Coronavirus + E. coli
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What is the species name of the protozoal parasite that causes Blackhead disease?
What is the name of the cecal worm that likes to eat the protozoa? |
Histomonas meleagridis
Heterakis gallinarum |
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* "Cloacal drinking", "Sulfur-colored diarrhea", "Target lesions"
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Histomoniasis = Blackhead
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* What is the characteristic diarrhea of birds with Histomonas?
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Yellow-green (Sulfur-colored)
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With Histomonas infection,
Cecal worm = _______ host Earthworm = _______ host |
Cecal worm = Intermediate host
Earthworm = Accessory host |
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* (Boards) This disease is a primary reason not to keep chickens and turkeys together.
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Histomoniasis = Blackhead
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* What good thing can you tell a farmer about Histomonas and transmitting it to his other houses?
What can you tell the farmer about treatment? |
It is not easy to move between houses if good biosecurity and cecal worm control (Benzimidazoles) are used because the protozoa cannot survive well outside of the birds.
There are no longer legal treatments for protozoa, so they can use antimicrobials and Roxarsone, Benzimidazoles for the nematodes. |
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** As a clue, whenever you see 'meleagridis' in a species name, think this as the bird it infects:
Ex: Mycoplasma meleagridis, Histomonas meleagridis |
Turkeys...meleagridis refers to turkeys
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* How can you diagnose Histomoniasis?
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HSL - target lesions on liver and an inflamed/congested ceca
Histopathology; take smears of gut mucosa to look for protozoa |
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* Hemorrhagic Enteritis (HE) only affects ______.
What is the causative agent? |
Turkeys
Type II Adenovirus |
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D
This summer you see several sick turkeys with dark tarry droppings. |
Hemorrhagic Enteritis
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* Why is it common to see secondary bacterial infections in turkeys with Hemorrhagic Enteritis?
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Because it affects the spleen (look for it to be mottled and friable), which is a major lymphoid-like organ in birds, leading to immunosuppression.
Also look for a GI tract full of blood. |
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** How can Hemorrhagic Enteritis be diagnosed?
What is the key to prevention? |
Histopath: Intranuclear inclusion bodies in the spleen cells are the big tip off.
Agar Gel Diffusion is also used for differential diagnosis. Vaccination gives good protection, but it has to be done and done properly, into the water |
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* Hemorrhagic Enteritis affects _______
Infectious Bursal Disease affects _____ |
HE = Turkeys
IBD = Chickens |
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** What do Hemorhagic Enteritis and Infectious Bursal Disease have in common?
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1. Both cause immunosuppression because they infect organs key in immune health.
2. Both shed in feces and are transmitted fecal-oral 3. Both are highly contagious viral diseases 4. Both are controlled by vaccination 5. Both cause hemorrhage in the body |
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D
On necropsy of several dead chickens, you find subcutaneous and intramuscular hemorrhages, urea deposits in the kidneys and ureters, and an enlarged Bursa of Fabricius. |
Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD)
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