Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ is a viral infection caused by a ๐๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ. Thankfully, this coronavirus is not known to affect humans!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We see this disease in chickens!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Infected poultry will shed the virus in their feces and nasal discharge, which contaminates the environment. This allows other chickens to inhale the virus, and set up an infection. Unfortunately, the virus can hang around in a chicken for several weeks, even after the chicken no longer has clinical signs. These chickens are considered ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฌ, and can easily spread the virus throughout the flock if quarantine measures arenโt taken.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
As the name ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ suggests, this disease primarily causes inflammation of the ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข, which are the large airways within the lungs. This leads to difficulty breathing, nasal discharge and sneezing in affected birds. In some birds, the virus can also affect kidney function. One of the most interesting consequences of this infection is ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ with ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฌ. This occurs due to infection of the ovaries, causing them to produce abnormal ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ (the part that ultimately becomes an egg!) .
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Diagnosis typically involves ๐๐๐, which identifies the viral genetic code directly. Other options include ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ, which tests the blood of affected chickens to see if they have antibodies against the virus.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
There is little evidence supporting the use of antiviral medications in affected animals, but thankfully most birds will recover on their own. However, the highly infectious nature of this virus mean that prevention is key! Most producers use a vaccine against the virus as part of their routine health programs, combined with routine biosecurity measures.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-3) Wrinkled eggs from infectious bronchitis.
4) A normal egg white (right) compared to the โwatery whitesโ from infectious bronchitis on the left.
5) A very sad chicken kidney! The tubules of the kidney are prominent and white due to accumulation of ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ, the main waste product filtered by chicken kidneys.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Pattison M, McMullin P, Bradbury J, Alexander D. Poultry Diseases, Sixth Edition. 2007.
Photos 1-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Nation, Page, Reece, Harrington licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
