Duck diseases diagnosis, prevention and control

- Most common diseases of ducks according to Signs and Symptoms

Disease	Cause	Ages affected	Species	Mortality	Signs and Symptoms	Control
1. Velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle Disease (VVND)	Virus	Any	Most domestic birds	Mortality may reach 100% but often lower in ducks	Sudden mortality, often with few or minimal signs Nervous: Balance & walking problems, twisted necks Respirators: gasping, difficulty breathing, swelling of the head Digestive: diarrhea Reproductive: decreased egg numbers	Vaccination, biosecurity
2. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)	Virus	Any	Most domestic birds	Mortality may reach 100% but often lower in ducks and pigeons	Sudden mortality, often with few or no signs Respiratory: gasping, swelling of wattles & combs Nervous: tremors of the head and neck Digestive: diarrhea, thirst Reproductive: soft-shelled or shell-less eggs, decreased egg numbers	Biosecurity, depopulation, (vaccination)
3. Duck viral enteritis (duck plague)	Virus	Any, although adults more severely affected	Wild and domestic ducks and geese	5- 100% with the highest mortality in older birds	Sudden mortality, often with few or no signs Digestive: watery diarrhea, decreased appetite, thirst Reproductive: decreased egg numbers Nervous: difficulty walking, tremors Respiratory: pasted eyelids, nasal discharge	Biosecurity, (vaccination)
4.Duck virus hepatitis	Virus	Young, < 6 weeks	Ducks	Close to 100% in ducklings 1< wk old. 50% in 1-3 wk old, very low in > 4 wk old	Death may be the first sign of disease. Nervous: birds fall on their sides, kicking	Isolation of young ducks, (vaccination)
5. Fowl cholera	Bacteria	Birds >4 weeks are most susceptible	Chickens, ducks, geese, most birds	10-90% mortaility. Mortality is highest in turkeys, ducks.	Sudden death is the first sign of disease. Respiratory: Gaping, difficulty breathing Digestive: diarrhea, especially in ducks	Medication, remove reservoirs, vaccination
6.Coccidiosis	Protozoa	Young birds, older birds become immune	Most although the coccidian of one species do not infest other birds	Variable depending on how severe the case is and the type of coccidian	Depression, weakness, decreased weight gain, dehydration. Digestive: may have mucold or bloody diarrhea.	Self immunization, medication
7.Aflatoxicosis	Toxin from fungus	Young birds more severely affected	signs more severe in duckling	Variable	Nervous: difficulty walking, convulsions, feather picking Reproductive: Reduced fertility and hatch rates. Decreased egg numbers	Remove contaminated food
8. botulism	Toxin from fungus that grows in rotting material	Young birds more severely affected	signs more severe in duckling	It depends on how many birds consume the toxin	Nervous: paralysis, especially of the neck. Birds will be flaccid.	Remove source of toxin , pick up carcasses, control flies, fix leaking water
9. vitamin deficiency	Lack of complete nutrition	Young birds more affected	signs more severe in duckling	moderates to high in young, confined birds	Vitamin E: Death before 4 days of age, Decreased hatchability Nervous: Difficulty walking and standing, 15-30 days of age. Vitamin A: Slow growth, drowsiness, ad mortality. Respiratory: Discharge from nose and eyes. Reproductive decreased egg numbers and hatching, increased blood spots in eggs.	Supplement vitamins in the water or feed..