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No.. it's a highly contagious respiratory infection with foul smelling discharge. A lot of folks recommend depopulation so you don't have to worry about a closed flock because they are carriers for life so you can't sell birds or hatching eggs. But you can treat.. however, you have to weigh the pros and cons as to what it would entail to keep the flock versus culling, disinfecting and starting over.
I see it referred to alot as a cold or roup. It sounds like it's basically a cold but the severity is based on the strength of the pathogen. The fact that it goes into the sinuses or into phneumonia is probably secondary. I wouldn't cull mine. Chickens get colds all the time!!! Besides, it says it's very common in backyard flocks. Well, I guess it depends on what you want to do with them but I don't think you'll ever get rid of all the pathogens. They've been around longer than we have probably.
"Infectious Coryza
Synonyms: roup, cold, coryza
Species affected: chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. Common in game chicken flocks.
Clinical signs: Swelling around the face, foul smelling, thick, sticky discharge from the nostrils and eyes, labored breathing, and rales (rattles -- an abnormal breathing sound) are common clinical signs. The eyelids are irritated and may stick together. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds may become stunted (see Table 1 ).
Mortality from coryza is usually low, but infections can decrease egg production and increase the incidence and/or severity of other diseases. Mortality can be as high as 50 percent, but is usually no more than 20 percent. The clinical disease can last from a few days to 2-3 months, depending on the virulence of the pathogen and the existence of other infections such as mycoplasmosis.
Transmission: Coryza is primarily transmitted by direct bird-to-bird contact. This can be from infected birds brought into the flock as well as from birds which recover from the disease which remain carriers of the organism and may shed intermittently throughout their lives.. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps, and live-bird sales. Inapparent infected adult birds added into a flock are a common source for outbreaks. Within a flock, inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets, and contamination of feed and/or water are common modes of spread.
Treatment: Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials can be used. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon
, Di-Methox) is the preferred treatment. If it is not available, or not effective, sulfamethazine (Sulfa-Max
, SulfaSure), erythromycin (gallimycin
), or tetracycline (Aureomycin
) can be used as alternative treatments. Sulfa drugs are not FDA approved for pullets older than 14 weeks of age or for commercial layer hens. While antibiotics can be effective in reducing clinical disease, they do not eliminate carrier birds.
Prevention: Good management and sanitation are the best ways to avoid infectious coryza. Most outbreaks occur as a result of mixing flocks. All replacement birds on "coryza-endemic" farms should be vaccinated. The vaccine (Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter. "
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
