Sick birds this spring.

[brett]

My chicks have been diagnosed with AE. This is positive and definite, and should be an answer to some of the fatalities this spring.
Avian Encephalomyelitis is the proper name for this condition.

So that this is at the top and can be found.
MM chicks, hatch 2/23/08, testing at the Pennsylvania State University.

 

[MNKris]

Thank you for the post. I am trying to get in touch with our vet right now. What is the treatment, do you know?

 

[maineiac]

Brett, please check your PM

 

[wegotchickens]

Did you hatch them or buy them?

 

[Kristina]

brett got his chickens from mcmurray

 

[mario2girls]

maybe someone can put description of this ae causes and cures either here or the other post or somewhere else so we can all scramble looking up the info on our own?

 

[MNKris]

From the Merck Vet Manual

Avian encephalomyelitis is a worldwide viral disease of Japanese quail, turkeys, chickens, and pheasants, characterized by ataxia and tremor of the head, neck, and limbs. Ducklings, pigeons, and guinea fowl are susceptible to experimental infection. The causative picornavirus can be grown in chicken embryos from nonimmune hens. It is transmitted for ~1 wk through a portion of eggs laid by infected hens, and then spreads laterally in the hatcher or brooder to susceptible hatchmates.
Clinical Findings:
Signs commonly appear at 7-10 days of age, although they may be present at hatching or delayed for several weeks. The main signs are unsteadiness, sitting on hocks, paresis, and even complete inability to move. Muscular tremors are best seen after exercising the bird; holding the bird on its back in the cupped hand helps in detection. Typically, about 5% of the flock is affected, although morbidity and mortality may be much higher. The disease in adult birds is inapparent except for a transient drop in egg production. The disease in turkeys is often milder than in chickens.
Lesions: No gross lesions of the nervous system are seen. Lymphocytic accumulations in the gizzard muscle may be visible as grayish areas. Lens opacities may develop weeks after infection. Microscopic lesions in the CNS consist of neuronal axon-type degeneration (“ghost” cells) in the brain, particularly in the brain stem and in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. Gliosis and lymphocytic perivascular cuffing can also be seen. Visceral microscopic lesions consist of lymphoid follicles in the muscular tissue of the gizzard, proventriculus, and myocardium, while numerous lymphoid follicles can be found in the pancreas.

Diagnosis:
Avian encephalomyelitis must be differentiated from avian encephalomalacia (vitamin E deficiency), rickets, vitamin B1 or B2 deficiency, Newcastle disease, eastern encephalitis, Marek’s disease, and encephalitis caused by bacteria, fungi (eg, aspergillosis), or mycoplasmas. Diagnosis is based on history, signs, and histologic study of brain, spinal cord, proventriculus, gizzard, and pancreas. Virus isolation in eggs free of avian encephalomyelitis antibody is sometimes necessary for confirmation. Serologic testing of paired samples is helpful, using virus neutralization or ELISA tests. Microscopic lesions are sparse and may not be found in infected adults.

Prevention and Treatment:
Immunization of breeder pullets 10-15 wk old with a commercial live vaccine is advised to prevent vertical transmission of the virus to progeny and to provide them with maternal immunity against the disease. Vaccination of table-egg flocks is also advisable to prevent a temporary drop in egg production. Affected chicks and poults are ordinarily destroyed because few recover. A combination vaccine for fowlpox and avian encephalomyelitis for wing-web administration is widely used. The disease does not affect humans or other mammals.

 

[maineiac]

Intro
Avian encephalomyelitis is a viral disease of the central nervous system of chickens, pheasants, turkeys, and quail. It has a worldwide distribution. Morbidity 5-60% depending on the immune status of the majority of parents, mortality high. Vertical transmission is very important, transmission occurs over about 1-2 weeks, some lateral. The route of infection is transovarian with an incubation period of 1-7 days; lateral transmission is probably by the oral route, incubation >10 days. Virus in faeces may survive 4 weeks or more.

Signs
Nervous signs.
Dull expression.
Ataxia and sitting on hocks.
Imbalance.
Paralysis.
Tremor of head, neck and wings. Tremor may be inapparent but is accentuated if chicks are held inverted in the hand.

Treatment
None

From: Thepoultrysite

 

[brett]

I was told to keep up with the water, food, vitamins just as you would normal chicks and hope they pull through, keep them seperated from your healthy and hope for the best, it shouldnt affect your adult birds for it only affects chicks in the short period from hatch to about 6 weeks or so. Please check this out on the net sites for more accurate info as I am not a vet specialist. I was informed that this IS NOT HARMFUL TO HUMANS, I STRESS STRESS STRESS THIS.

Hope this helps
Brett.

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

soooo ....I'm alittle lost ,yes some do survive? and if so will they become thrifty again or remain small?