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E. coli septicaemia
Escherichia coli is a bacteria found in the gut in all species of warm-blooded animal.
Some serovars of E. Coli are more problematic than others.
These bacteria usually only cause disease if either the immune system of the bird is compromised, for example newly hatched birds with higher than normal exposure to the bacteria, or if the gut wall is damaged leading to secondary bacterial infection, for example coccidiosis damaging the intestinal wall and allowing E. Coli to enter into the bloodstream.
Symptoms
- Usually young birds.
- Sudden death: birds will look unwell briefly beforehand but can die within four hours of this.
- Hunched, depressed and weak birds.
- Other diseases can also be present so may see diarrhoea/green faeces, gasping, nasal discharge etc.
Diagnostics
- Bacterial culture of a swab taken from an affected organ at post-mortem
Treatment
- Treating with antibiotic dependant on the results of a culture and sensitivity test. Antibiotic resistance is a major problem, especially with regards to Coli. It is important to be targeting the right drug at the right time in these cases.
Prevention
- Cleaning and disinfecting any areas birds are in contact with on a regular basis. By keeping the amount of faecal contamination low, birds are less likely to get overburdened with bacteria while their immune system is developing.
- Monitoring the health status of the loft: regular testing for diseases like coccidiosis, trichomonas, chlamydia etc. will mean that you can keep these under control. A healthy bird is less likely to succumb to a bacterial disease.
- Commercial vaccines are available for poultry, but there is no evidence that these are effective in pigeons.