Waterfowl diseases
Rearing
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Many of you particularly if you keep a number of geese will run them with other livestock such as sheep or horses . If a combined worming programme is not used there can often occur a case of worm resistance in one of the breeds . As an example , if geese or ducks are kept with sheep , goats or cattle the larger species can be wormed and the wormer will cause them to shed parasite eggs . Many of these will be killed , the others are then picked up by the goose or duck and will pass through their system and later reinfect the host, this being a frequent cause of "worm resistance" . The smaller species may also suffer as they may be reinfected via the larger re distributing their own worm eggs.
The simplest way to treat this is to use the same wormer on both species and if the makers labels and dose ratings are followed ( often with a calculator to reduce the dose from many kilo to one and a half!) . The option of adding a syringe to the mouth of individual geese is both time consuming and stressful to both owner and animals , a better method is to dilute the dose for the pen or pens and make up a wet mash or to soak the grain. Egg withdrawal for most makes is twenty four hours remembering that this is the day after worming as the eggs laid on the day of worming were produced during the previous day . (They can be added to food for growers but will not incubate).
Another option is to run species together which cancel out the worms of each other such as geese and horses . Many of the Victorian horse books talk of this being "efficacious" and is probably the reason for so many geese being painted in stable yards. For those without an "estate" the muscovy is a smaller version , although it is technically neither goose nor duck it is closer to the goose genetically and I personally sell a number of muscovies for general farmyard hoovering . Perhaps the only drawback to this is it enables a broody goose or muscovy to hide their clutch even more effectively making the young susceptible to small rodents and the resulting rugby scrum to collect the babies whilst being 'assisted by mum' is another story.
DUCK
VIRUS ENTERITIS(DVE) or duck plague is an acute
contagious infection of ducks, geese and swans caused by a herpes
virus. Usually seen in domestic and feral waterfowl in urban/farm pond
settings during breeding season (April to June). Diagnosis is based on
clinical signs, pathology supported by the isolation and identification
of the virus.
Identification : The virus may be isolated from the liver and spleen of birds dying from this infection. Virus can be recovered by infecting susceptible ducklings, in which the disease can be reproduced; by inoculating embryonated Muscovy duck eggs on the chorioallantoic membrane; or by inoculating cell cultures of duck embryo or Muscovy duck embryo origin. The identity of the virus can be confirmed by neutralisation tests using specific antiserum to inhibit pathological changes in the duck embryos or the cytopathological effects in the cell cultures, or by direct or indirect fluorescent antibody tests on infected cell cultures.
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUESDuck virus enteritis (DVE) is an acute, sometimes chronic, contagious virus infection that occurs naturally only in ducks, geese and swans. The agent is a herpesvirus and similar to Newcastle Disease in chickens. The infection has not been reported in other avian species, mammals or humans. In domestic ducks and ducklings, DVE has been reported in birds ranging from 7 days of age to mature breeders. In susceptible flocks, the first signs are often sudden, high and persistent mortality with a significant drop in egg production. In chronically infected partially immune flocks, only occasional deaths occur. (In mine they did not stop laying and even laid eggs the morning they died)
Clinical signs associated with a DVE outbreak vary with the species, age and sex of the affected birds, and the virulence of the virus. In breeder ducks, the range of signs include photophobia (fear of light or apparent blindness), polydipsia, loss of appetite, ataxia, watery diarrhoea and nasal discharge. Birds often have ruffled feathers and soiled vents. Sick birds may maintain an upright stance by using their wings for support, but their overall appearance is one of weakness and depression. In ducklings 2-7 weeks of age, losses may be lower than in older birds, and the signs associated with DVE infection include dehydration, loss of weight, a blue colouration of the beaks, and bloodstained vents.
REQUIREMENTS FOR VACCINES A live attenuated virus vaccine can be used to control DVE in birds over 2 weeks of age. Fattening or breeding ducks may be vaccinated subcutane-ously or intramuscularly to produce an active immunity. The vaccine virus is not thought to spread by contact from vaccinated to unvaccinated ducks, as the unvaccinated birds remain susceptible to infection.
Gleaned and edited From Various sources on the net and elsewhere
The position with the vaccine is that it was brought into this country from Holland by Intervet after a request from Slimbridge.They imported a large quantity and sold few .As many vets are not totally au fait with waterfowl the disease is still little known but as it has the same devastating effects as Newcastles it should not be ignored
Waterfowl Disease Links
Duck virus enteritis... the only really transmittable fatal duck disease aka duck plague http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/httpdata/nwhc/mortal1.html
Duck viral Enteriris http://www.oie.int/diseases/A_B305.HTM
Duck viral Hepatitis http://www.oie.int/diseases/A_B304.HTM
Duck Viral Enteritis http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/30020001.htm
Duck Diseases http://www.csiro.au/news/mediarel/mr1998/mr98279.html
Veterinary facts http://www.poultrynet.gatech.edu/
The netvet pageshttp://www.netvet.wustl.edu/birds.htm