MM Sick Chicks Official Diagnosis In...

[ColoradoMom]

Quote:
The incubator and my Too cage are in the same area of the house - plus they would need to be brooded nearby as well. I think I will just have to cancel this order and make sure to keep the future duck eggs/ducklings/chicks FAR away from her. You are absolutley correct about no other birds allowed to have contact with her, I will revise all plans. I don't know what kind of parrot you have or how much effort it takes to keep your's healthy, but mine is a constant struggle. She has been recovering from a major wing injury for almost 3 months now and to have anything else compound her healing progress would be devistating.

I'm very glad I saw this thread today.

I'm so sorry for all of you going through this terrible experience.

Julie

 

[carousel]

Hi,
the part that is hard for some of us is that we have exposed chicks that have never missed a beat, never been sick.
I understand that a sick chick that recovers might not be a sturdy bird.
But there is nothing to suggest they are carriers.
AE is called AE Egg drop in adults and AE tremors in chicks.
thanks everyone for doing research so those of us with sick chicks can make informed choices.
thanks
CS

 

[kstaven]

Nature of the disease
Avian encephalomyelitis (AE) is a viral disease of young chickens caused by a virus from the Hepatovirus family and characterised by central nervous system signs (Epidemic Tremors). It can be the cause of significant economic loss.
Classification
FAO List C disease
Susceptible species
AE occurs naturally in chickens, turkeys, pheasants and Japanese quail.
Distribution
AE has been reported from virtually all developed countries, including New Zealand, Australia, USA and New Caledonia.
Clinical signs
Chickens of all ages are susceptible, but clinical signs of encephalitis only develop in those younger than four weeks. The disease is similar in turkeys and chickens. Under field conditions disease is most common in the 1–2 week age group. Following initial dull expression of the eyes, the following signs are seen:
- progressive ataxia with the chick losing control of legs, sitting on its haunches and falling onto its side;

- tremor of the head and neck.

Ataxia progresses to paralysis and death results from inability to feed or drink, or through being trampled.

Some birds recover, and others may survive with persistent clinical signs.

In susceptible adult birds, infection is usually sub-clinical, although there may be a transient drop in egg production.

Post-mortem findings
In chicks dying of AE there are no characteristic gross lesions. Histological examination of brain and spinal cord reveals characteristic encephalomyelitis with neuronal degeneration, perivascular cuffing and gliosis.

Differential diagnosis
Newcastle disease
St Louis encephalitis
ricketsiosis
vitamin E deficiency
vitamin A deficiency
riboflavin deficiency
perosis
Specimens required for diagnosis
Samples of brain tissue should be collected for histopathology, fluorescent antibody testing and/or virus isolation.
Serum sample from young chicks should be collected for ELISA test.

Transmission
AE virus is transmitted both vertically and horizontally i.e. through the egg and by contact. Eggs laid by hens with sub-clinical infection will carry the virus. While hatchability drops, eggs will hatch and chicks will develop clinical disease soon after. Affected chicks shed virus in faeces and will infect susceptible in-contact chicks.
To date wild birds have not been incriminated as reservoirs.

Risk of introduction
AE could be introduced through the import of sub-clinically infected adult breeding stock, infected day-old chicks or hatching eggs.
Control / vaccines
Immunisation with unattenuated live virus or with inactivated vaccine has been successfully used to control AE in both chickens and turkeys. If live king water. Breeder chickens are vaccinated at 10-16 weeks of age. Pheasants are vaccinated at 5-10 weeks of age and bobwhite quail at 6-10 weeks of age virus is administered to breeding pullets before they come into lay, their progeny will be protected by maternal antibody.
The disease can be eliminated from flocks by immunisation, but sometimes recurs after several years of freedom.

References
Epidemic Tremor, In Merck Veterinary Manual, National Publishing Inc. Eight ed, 1998, Philadelphia, p 1971
Office International des Epizooties, 2002

 

[RedTailRanch]

While the poultry site I am siting did say that infected birds should be culled because they will be "unthrifty", it also said this:

"Lifetime immunity is acquired through vaccination or recovery from natural outbreaks".

So this leads me to believe that culling "sick" birds is mainly a matter of ecomomics and recovered birds will pose NO threat.

Again, I am open to ALL findings, as long as they are fair and from a REPUTABLE source.

Chris in Spokane

 

[kstaven]

For those asking about the vaccine



Avian Encephalomyelitis-Fowl Pox Vaccine, Live Virus AE Pox Vac 800VV/A5.0/S6.2 10M1.10 Fort Dodge Animal Health - USA
Avian Encephalomyelitis Vaccine, Live Virus AE Vac 800VV/A1.1/S6.2 1051.11 Fort Dodge Animal Health - USA

 

[carousel]

virus is administered to breeding pullets before they come into lay, their progeny will be protected by maternal antibody.

This also suggests that maybe the reason some of our chicks did NOT get sick was because they were protected by maternal antibodies?
CS​

 

[SamG347]

We are about to place an order through our feedstore for chicks from Mcmurray that will be here in late april or may......SHOULD WE consider canceling this and just going with chicks from local TSC?
Thanks all

 

[therealsilkiechick]

deleted by me

 

[GwenFarms]

Quote:
Oooo--Yes. Please do be careful with your words and this subject. It already had people like myself terrified.
Thanks! I know you are just trying to help.
-Theresa

I'm absolutely just trying to help and this is what I was told after talking to a commercial chicken farmer. He is an awful good source. Check with your local Co-op agent to get some difinitave advice. I would be cautious about introducing this previously sick chicks into my flock until knowing for sure.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Carousel I totally understand your concern and stress, I had over 200 chickens of all ages that never so much as sniffled but were 'guilty' of being within 25 km of chickens that tested positive for AI. It's heartbreaking for sure, and controversial to say the least. There was no good evidence at the time to say how big that circle needed to be, and at the end they decided on a smaller area.

There is conflicting opinions as to if CHICKS that are exposed to AE will ever get over it or if they will be carriers. There is more information on adult outbreaks for sure, but the reading I have seen says that chicks should be culled. Often there is not an explanation to go with that, so they leave you wondering if it's due to their unthriftiness or the fact that they would be carriers. Chicks are said to get it worse due to their undeveloped immune system, so they have the weakness and death rate that adults do not get. There is no proof that they get over it that I could find and without a developed immune system you have to wonder.

Seems in most areas it is a reportable disease so report it and the decision may be made for you by law, which in the long run could be way easier on your mind. Either way you are in my thoughts.