I will be using this thread to continue to educate on FowlPox or Avipoxvirus. I will also be showing updates of how long it takes for the organism to leave the bird's body and how it spreads. Every time I research, I find new information that is helpful.
This is from Wikipedia.
Avipoxvirus is a member of the Poxviridae family. The Poxviridae family is the family of viruses which cause the victim organism to have poxes as a symptom. This pox virus is one that affects birds only. Poxviruses have generally large genomes, and other such examples include smallpox and monkeypox. Although it is comparably slow-spreading, Avipoxvirus is known to cause symptoms like pustules full of pus lining the skin and diphtheria-like symptoms. These diphtheria-like symptoms might include dipitheric necrotic membranes lining the mouth and the upper respiratory tract. This disease can be transmitted to humans by unusually close contact with birds that are infected or the consuming of liquids or solids that have been in extremely close contact with an infected bird. Not unlike other avian viruses, it can be transmitted through vectors mechanically such as through mosquitoes.[1]
Avipoxvirus is a virus that is brick shaped and is usually 200 nanometers in diameter. This is much larger than normal viruses which are around 60 nanometers in diameter. This virus can only be contracted through vectors and consumption of infected items, but they can be filtered by a special water filter. This filter is called a Large Volume Water Sampler (LVWS).
Unlike other viruses, avipoxvirus can withstand extreme dryness. With this advantage, it can spread on dust particles. This is because it has adapted to living in the dry mucous membranes of an infected host's upper respiratory tract.
As this virus is a poxvirus, it has a high mortality rate in birds, like it does in humans. The effects of this virus might increase the difficulty of breathing, eating, and drinking significantly. Exterior lesions are restricted to the non-feathered parts of the body, usually the face and legs and are characterized by proliferative and necrotizing dermatitis.[2] Another feature of this bird pox that has been observed is the presence of blood sacs or blisters filled with bloody fluid that will collapse when pierced with a needled and allowed to drain. [3] This virus has the highest mortality rate in upland gamebirds such as songbirds, marine birds such as seagulls, parrots, and some raptors such as the peregrine falcon. If the victim of the virus survives long enough to breed, then the offspring will become mentally retarded[citation needed].
Other names for this peculiar virus might include avian pox, fowlpox, canarypox, juncopox, mynahpox, and many other names that correspond with its peculiar characteristics.
More helpful information on Fowlpox
From POULTRY 2001:
FOWL POX
· Avipoxvirus, DNA virus, also called “avian pox”
· Slow-spreading infection. Begins with cutaneous form and goes to diphtheritic form (GI and respiratory).
· Transmission: Direct contact through skin abrasions. Mosquitoes may serve as mechanical vectors.
· Clinical signs/Necropsy: Cutaneous – Wartlike nodular lesions on unfeathered skin of chickens and head/upper neck of turkeys. Lesions may also appear on feet, legs, around nostrils, and on eyelids. Lesions become yellowish, progress to thick dark scabs, and may coalesce. Low mortality, but decreased production. Diphtheritic – Lesions on mucous membranes of part or entire digestive and respiratory tracts. Caseous patches or proliferative masses. High mortality.
· Diagnosis: Characteristic lesions. PCR is available. Histo -- Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epithelial cells on microscopy. Infected cells are also enlarged, with associated inflammatory changes.
· DDx: Infectious laryngotracheitis
· Prevention: Vaccine available
This one is GREAT...puts a lot in Lame man's terms! Shows PREVENTION AND TREATMENT!! Also shows WHEN to vaccinate. I will follow this one with HOW to vaccinate.
This is from FOWLFACTS.
FOWL POX
Also called:
Avipoxvirus, DNA virus, also called “avian pox”
Progression:
Slow-spreading infection.
Begins with cutaneous form and goes to diphtheritic form (GI and respiratory).
It is a Virus
It is spread by direct contact with infected birds
Mosquitoes carry the virus from wild & other birds
Use mosquito management programs to help reduce the mosquito population
Transmission:
Direct contact through skin abrasions.
Mosquitoes may serve as mechanical vectors.
Signs:
Clinical signs/Necropsy: Cutaneous – Wartlike nodular lesions on unfeathered skin of chickens and head/upper neck of turkeys.
Lesions may also appear on feet, legs, around nostrils, and on eyelids.
Lesions become yellowish, progress to thick dark scabs, and may coalesce.
There are 2 main strains of the disease, the first appearing as greyish warty scabs on the comb, wattles and faces of the birds. The can result in serious disfigurement making such birds useless for showing. The second strain is more serious, causing cheesy substances to form in the respiratory passages, particularly the throat, which can cause death by asphyxiation
Mortality:
Low mortality, but decreased production.
Diphtheritic – Lesions on mucous membranes of part or entire digestive and respiratory tracts. Caseous patches or proliferative masses. High mortality.
Birds often recover from Fowl Pox but can remain carriers
Diagnosis:
Characteristic lesions. PCR is available.
Histo -- Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epithelial cells on microscopy. Infected cells are also enlarged, with associated inflammatory changes.
DDx: Infectious laryngotracheitis
Prevention:
Vaccine available
Vaccinate soon after hatching up to 2 weeks of age. All should then be revaccinated at 12-14 weeks of age
A vaccine is available which is applied with a two prong needle into the flap of skin on the wing. Unlike Mareks Disease where the vaccine must be given at day old, Fowl Pox vaccine can be given to birds of all age
Treatment:
There is no sure cure, other than treating the scabs with iodine and scraping the muck out of the birds' throats and painting with iodine
Clear the eyes and beaks so they can see to eat and drink on their own, use warm water with a very weak solution of iodine in the water
If it’s Dry Pox
Treatment of bird
You need to isolate the bird and put it into an uncrowded area, remove the scabs around the mouth and eyes so the bird can eat and see
Symptoms
Dry Pox, has small yellow warts that appear on the wattles, comb and face
These increase in size as the disease spreads
Dark brown scabs form, and then drop off
Secondary infections
To prevent secondary infections occurring you need to treat with 300 mg oxytetracycline (Terramycin) per gallon of drinking water for 3 days followed by vitamin supplement in the water, do not give the vitamins at the same time as the medication, one will cancel the other out
Recovery
The good news is that the birds naturally recover in 2 to 4 weeks usually, and are then immune to this particular strain of the disease
Reinfection
But some remain carriers and may become reinfected during molt and other times of stress; thoroughly clean the housing the bird has been in to remove all the infective scabs that may have come off
Human and the Pox
Another bit of good news, is that "chicken pox" in humans is caused by a different virus that has nothing to do the chickens, so no human health risk is involved
Now... if its Wet Pox
Treatment of the bird
The bird may have a thick discharge that interferes with its breathing, so clear the airways with cotton swabs coated with iodine, otherwise just treat it the same as dry pox
Swab lesion with Lugol’s solution of iodine
Symptoms
Wet Pox, has yellow cheesy lesions in the mouth and in the windpipe
Vaccination is recommended in areas of large mosquito populations
Treatment
At least now you know what it is, Betadine is a good iodine to use on the sores
Make sure the birds are getting fresh water every day, and fresh clean food every day
With taking the antibiotics, your bird may get diarrhea, give it some yoghurt plain and unsweetened (live culture) will bring the bowel back into a normal function, mix 2 tablespoon with some dry food every day for the next 2 weeks
Pox supportive treatment for blind birds
If it is Pox.
Supportive treatment is all you can do.
If there are any that are blind, put them in a small area, make sure they can all find waterers and feeders, make sure you don't move them once they are all familiar with where they are. Leave them in peace and quiet as much as you possibly can to reduce stress, you do not want a cocci outbreak to complicate things.
Standard treatment for Pox is nothing, as in DO NOTHING, they will recover, and a fatality from dry Pox is quite rare.
The good news is, once they have recovered they are immune to that particular strain of Poxvirus and will never catch that again.
Treat your mosquito population; this is what is causing the outbreaks
Unless you bring in new birds from somewhere, where the Pox is of a different strain, you may very well never see this in your birds again
I have never seen or heard of any waterfowl with Pox
From MSU:
Basically the same info, with a few extras. I am listing different references because they are all worded differently and everyone reads/learns different.
Avian Pox
Avian pox is a relatively slow-spreading viral disease in birds, characterized by wart-like nodules on the skin and diphtheritic necrotic membranes lining the mouth and upper respiratory system. It has been present in birds since the earliest history. Mortality is not usually significant unless the respiratory involvement is marked. The disease may occur in any age of bird, at any time.
Avian pox is caused by a virus of which there are at least three different strains or types; fowl pox virus, pigeon pox virus and canary pox virus. Although some workers include turkey pox virus as a distinct strain, many feel that is identical to fowl pox virus.
Each virus strain is infective for a number of species of birds. Natural occurring pox in chickens, turkeys and other domestic fowl is considered to be caused by fowl pox virus.
Fowl pox can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact. The virus is highly resistant in dried scabs and under certain conditions may survive for months on contaminated premises. The disease may be transmitted by a number of species of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can harbor infective virus for a month or more after feeding on affected birds. After the infection is introduced, it spreads within the flock by mosquitoes as well as direct and indirect contact. Recovered birds do not remain carriers.
Since fowl pox usually spreads slowly, a flock may be affected for several months. The course of the disease in the individual bird takes three to five weeks. Affected young birds are retarded in growth. Laying birds experience a drop in egg production. Birds of all ages that have oral or respiratory system involvement have difficulty eating and breathing. The disease manifests itself in one or two ways, cutaneous pox (dry form) or diphtheritic pox (wet form).
Dry pox starts as small whitish foci that develop into wart-like nodules. The nodules eventually are sloughed and scab formation precedes final healing. Lesions are most commonly seen on the featherless parts of the body (comb, wattles, ear lobes, eyes, and sometimes the feet).
Wet pox is associated with the oral cavity and the upper respiratory tract, particularly the larynx and trachea. The lesions are diphtheritic in character and involve the mucous membranes to such a degree that when removed, an ulcerated or eroded area is left.
Fowl pox is readily diagnosed on the basis of flock history and presence of typical lesions. In some cases, laboratory diagnosis by tissue or transmission studies is necessary.
There is no treatment for fowl pox. Disease control is accomplished best by preventative vaccination since ordinary management and sanitation practices will not prevent it. Several kinds of vaccines are available and are effective if used properly.
Vaccination of broilers is not usually required unless the mosquito population is high or infections have occurred previously. The chicks may be vaccinated as young as one day of age by using the wing-web method and using a one needle applicator. All replacement chickens are vaccinated against fowl pox when the birds are six to ten weeks of age. One application of fowl pox vaccine results in permanent immunity.
For those who think they are immuned because they don't have many mosquitoes, think again.
According to the Veterinary medicine journal, it is also transferred through mites. This should be obvious, since they live off of dead skin and the scabs on the pox are dead skin...
From the Australian Veterninary Medicine Journal, WILEYSCIENCE
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the vaccine efficacy of a fowlpox virus recombinant expressing the H7 haemagglutinin of avian influenza virus in poultry.
Procedure Specific-pathogen-free poultry were vaccinated with fowlpox recombinants expressing H7 or H1 haemagglutinins of influenza virus. Chickens were vaccinated at 2 or 7 days of age and challenged with virulent Australian avian influenza virus at 10 and 21 days later, respectively. Morbidity and mortality, body weight change and the development of immune responses to influenza haemagglutinin and nucleo-protein were recorded.
Results Vaccination of poultry with fowlpox H7 avian influenza virus recombinants induced protective immune responses. All chickens vaccinated at 7 days of age and challenged 21 days later were protected from death. Few clinical signs of infection developed. In contrast, unvaccinated or chickens vaccinated with a non-recombinant fowlpox or a fowlpox expressing the H1 haemagglutinin of human influenza were highly susceptible to avian influenza. All those chickens died within 72 h of challenge. In younger chickens, vaccinated at 2 days of age and challenged 10 days later the protection was lower with 80% of chickens protected from death. Chickens surviving vaccination and challenge had high antibody responses to haemagglutinin and primary antibody responses to nucleoprotein suggesting that although vaccination protected substantially against disease it failed to completely prevent replication of the challenge avian influenza virus.
Conclusion Vaccination of chickens with fowlpox virus expressing the avian influenza H7 haemagglutinin provided good protection against experimental challenge with virulent avian influenza of H7 type. Although eradication will remain the method of first choice for control of avian influenza, in the circumstances of a continuing and widespread outbreak the availability of vaccines based upon fowlpox recombinants provides an additional method for disease control.
musicnotes it's interesting that depending on which you look at the answer on what happens with survivors ranges from carriers to some are carriers to non are carriers!! I wonder how the lay person is suppose to know which one is accurate?
MollyD
I know...it's very confusing. But the bottom line is vaccinate if any of your flock (or you know flocks in your area) have the pox and PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION of biting insects around your area.
If you have a bad mosquito population in your local area, you can even go as far as contacting the city or county to come out and spray in watery areas.
~music
PS~I am sorry for you and your birdies, too. Just keep the faith. We will all get through this and as a wise person JUST told me ;) we will be stronger because of it. Not to mention all the help this is for others.
Mosquitos (and black flies) were very bad here this year. I'm sure the pox has spread up this way. I try not to have standing water around (aside from their drinking water) but with all the rain we had this summer there were lots of breeding spots for mosquitos :-(
MollyD