Avian rhinotracheitis
The avian rhinotracheitis (ART) is a viral infectious disease that mainly turkeys (here as Turkey rhinotracheitis , TRT, hereinafter) and chicken (also as a swollen head syndrome , designated SHS) attacks. In other chicken birds the disease is less common and causes fewer symptoms. The trigger is the avian rhinotracheitis virus (ARTV) from the Paramyxoviridae family . ART first appeared in South Africa in the early 1980s, and is now being observed worldwide. It manifests itself primarily as a respiratory disease. A causal treatment is not possible; there are several preventive vaccines.
Clinical picture
Turkeys
In turkeys there are sneezing, slimy-purulent nasal discharge, rattling noises of the windpipe ( stridor trachealis ), swelling of the infraorbital sinus , coughing and shaking the head. If the course is uncomplicated, the disease can heal spontaneously within two weeks . Poor housing conditions or secondary infections can lead to inflammation of the air sacs , inflammation of the pericardium ( pericarditis ), pneumonia or inflammation of the tissue surrounding the liver (perihepatitis). In laying turkeys, the laying performance decreases and the quality of the eggshells deteriorates.
Chicken
Chickens also have an upper respiratory disease. The animals are listless and swelling of the head mucous membranes ("Swollen Head Syndrome", SHS) and the infraorbital sinus can occur. In addition, central nervous symptoms such as disorientation, torticollis and opisthotonus often occur . The morbidity is 10%, the mortality less than 2%.
literature
- Otfried Siegmann: Compendium of the poultry diseases. Schlütersche 2005, ISBN 9783877067444
- JKA Cook: Avian Pneumovirus Infections of Turkeys and Chickens. In: Vet J 160 (2000), pp. 118-125.
