I need advice and I need help. I have MS in flock. What is it?

[toomanychickens]

Ok what is MS and how do I treat it? Or do I have to kill everything? How is it spread. Can it spread to eggs I am hatching? HELP!!!!!

 

[toomanychickens]

anyone???

 

[easttxchick]

To be honest with you, I don't know what MS stand for.

Have you done a search on here yet to see if you could find some info that may have been previously posted about it?

I wish I could help, but I am clueless.

 

[tuffolbird]

Mycoplasma synoviae
Synonyms: MS, infectious synovitis, synovitis, silent air sac

Species affected: chickens and turkeys.

Clinical signs: Birds infected with the synovitis form show lameness, followed by lethargy, reluctance to move, swollen joints, stilted gait, loss of weight, and formation of breast blisters. Birds infected with the respiratory form exhibit respiratory distress. Greenish diarrhea is common in dying birds (see Table 1 ). Clinically, the disease in indistinguishable from MG.

Transmission: MS is transmitted from infected breeder to progeny via the egg. Within a flock, MS is spread by direct contact with infected birds as well as through airborne particles over short distances.

Treatment: Recovery is slow for both respiratory and synovitis forms. Several antibiotics are variably effective. The most effective are tylosin, erthromycin, spectinomycin, lincomycin, and chlorotectracycline. These antibiotics can be given by injection while some can be administered in the feed or drinking water. These treatments are most effective when the antibiotics are injected.

Prevention: Eradication is the best and only sure control. Do not use breeder replacements from flocks that have had MS. The National Poultry Improvement Plan monitors for MS.

This information can be found at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS044

edited to post source