Question

A section of the poultry was found to be gasping, coughing, sneezing and suffering from acute respiratory discharges. They were also suffering from diarrhoea and were exhibiting strange manifestations of the nerves like body and head tremors. The vet diagnosed it to be a severe viral infection.

Name the disease that the vet diagnosed the poultry was suffering from?

• A. Pullorum
• B. Newcastle disease
• C. Fowl typhoid
• D. Coccidiosis

Answer 1

The correct option is B Newcastle disease

As per the symptoms given in the question, the doctor must have diagnosed it as Newcastle disease.

Newcastle disease is also known as Ranikhet disease. This disease affects the poultry in which the birds suffer from acute respiratory infection, and birds go into gasping, coughing, sneezing and watery faecal discharge i.e., diarrhoea.

This highly contagious disease is caused by a paramyxovirus. The virus is endemic to poultry mostly in Asia and Africa. Egg quality is affected with thin-shelled eggs. Mortality can be as high as 100% in birds.

Pullorum is a highly infectious disease caused due to Salmonella pullorum (bacteria). Fowl typhoid is caused due to Salmonella gallinarum (bacteria)

Symptoms of fowl typhoid resemble those of pullorum but fowl typhoid affects older birds to a greater degree than Pullorum disease.

These diseases cause high mortality rates among young chickens and turkeys. The symptoms include anorexia, diarrhoea, dehydration, weakness and high mortality.

Coccidiosis is caused due to a protozoan parasite. Reduced food intake, bloody diarrhoea and loss of weight are some of the symptoms associated with the disease.