Clinical symptoms and prevention and treatment of staphylococcosis in chickens

1. Clinical symptoms

Acute cases of Staphylococcus gallinarum often die suddenly without visible symptoms. The disease is more elderly mainly performance spirit, feathers loose chaos, eyes closed lethargy, wings droop, eat less or do not eat, often crouching or stay in one place. Pull white or green loose stool. Later sick chickens often stand unstable, fall to the ground and die in 2 to 3 days. In the late stage of the disease, there are also a few sick chickens with metatarsus and toe joint swelling, showing limp. If not treated in time, they will die because of emaciation.

2. Changes in anatomy

The characteristic changes are alopecia of the skin on the ventral, dorsal and tip of the wings, dark purple under the skin, necrosis, skin edema, severe cases of skin rupture with serous exudate, contamination of surrounding feathers, local ulceration, and foul odor. Chest, abdomen skin often whole to depilate, subcutaneous was reddish brown. Chest and abdomen and leg muscle inside often appear sheet haemorrhage. Liver, spleen enlargement, duodenum, rectum congestion, bleeding. Inflammatory exudate in the joints.

3. Treatment

Gentamicin, 15,000 units per chicken per intramuscular injection, twice a day for 3 consecutive days. In addition to drug control, chicken houses were disinfected with poison once a day for 3 consecutive days.

4. Summary

Staphylococci widely exist in nature, such as drinking water in the air of chicken houses, feces and healthy chicken skin, feathers, oral mucosa and other places can be isolated from staphylococci. Therefore, the occurrence of this disease is closely related to the feeding environment, nutrition and physique of chickens. Especially 40~60 days old is the age of frequent occurrence of this disease, and feeding management should be strengthened.

At the same time of treatment, it is necessary to disinfect chicken houses and utensils to reduce the bacteria content in the environment, and the chance of infection of the body is relatively reduced, which is of great significance for preventing the occurrence of this disease.

High density of chickens, rain and high temperature were the main factors causing the outbreak of Staphylococcus gallinarum.

The disease is mainly transmitted through damaged skin and mucosa. Before the outbreak of chicken staphylococcosis, chickens have serious chicken pox. Therefore, attention must be paid to the prevention and control of chicken pox when preventing this disease.