Avian colibacillosis is an infectious disease of bacterial origin that affects domestic and wild birds. It is one of the biggest causes of economic losses in the poultry sector.
Avian colibacillosis is present throughout the world.
All mammals
Colibacillosis is caused by Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative, reduced mobility, isolated or grouped in two, sometimes capsulated coccobacillus.
There are diverse clinical expressions of colibacillosis depending on the affected subject:
- In chicks: embryonic death shortly before hatching, poor quality shells with a humid and hot surface. Death can occur up to three weeks after hatching. Sometimes delays in the involution of the vitelline vesicle and associated omphalitis
- Animals aged 2 to 9 weeks: septicemia and chronic respiratory disease (secondary contamination by Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection), primary expression of colibacillosis, causing major losses: Significant decline in food consumption followed by exhaustion, hypothermia and signs of respiratory distress in the most affected subjects. Death in 30% to 50% of cases
- Animals aged several months: ovaritis and salpingitis, ascending chronic infection or through the spread of bacteria from the left air sac to the oviduct
- Animals aged 30 weeks: swollen head syndrome (secondary contamination by viral infection): acute inflammation of cells in the skin and the subcutaneous tissue of the head and periorbitary regions
Sanitary
Adherence to standard hygiene measures (sufficient aeration, avoiding overcrowding, clean litter, etc.)
Fumigation and/or soaking of eggs in a tepid disinfectant solution
No vaccine