xt731z41sw3s https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt731z41sw3s/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1931 journals kaes_circulars_244 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 244 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 244 1931 2014 true xt731z41sw3s section xt731z41sw3s F
University of Kentucky———C0lIege 0f Agriculture
EXTENSION DIVISION
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean- and Director
Circular No. 244 May, 1931
Published in connection with the agrieultural extension work carried
on by cooperation of the College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky,
with the L'. S. Department of Agriculture, and distributed in furthe1·;u1·~e
of the work provided for in the Act of Congress of May S, 1914.
 
CHICKEN POX
By F. E. HULL
Chicken pox (fowl pox) is an infectious disease character-
. ized by the formation of nodules, scabs, or ulcer-like sores,
principally on the unfeathered parts of the fowl. ln some cases
the lesions are found on the mucous membranes of the eyes,
nostrils, mouth, throat, and windpipe and are characterized by
the formation of a cheesy exudate. These conditions are com-
monly spoken of as canker, and avian diphtheria. \Vhen
lesions predominate in the eye, nostril, mouth, throat, and wind—
pipe a careful examination of a number of birds usually re- I
reals the presence of skin lesions. Since these conditions are
simply different manifestations of the same disease, they are
treated as chicken pox.
('ausc. A filterable virus has been shown to be the cause
of chicken pox. The virus is found in the nodules and cheesy
exndate and is quite resistant to drying and disinfectants. This;
disease is not caused by any agent except the virus.
_ Symptoms. Nodules appear on the comb, wattles, and other  
unfeathcred parts. Feathered parts, also, may be affected.
(`heesy patches are found in the eyes, nostrils, sinuses, mouth,.
throat, and windpipe. The nodules may he small or the condi-»
tion may become generalized and involve large areas. Accumu--
lation of material in the nostrils, sinuses, mouth or windpipe
causes difheult breathing, and 1nay result in suffocation. 1
In the mild forms of chicken pox the general appearance of
A the bird remains unchanged, the appetite is good, there may be

 2 Kentucky Extension C2`rcular N0. 244.
a slight decrease in egg production, and the mortality usually eg;
is low. In severe outbreaks the bird becomes droopy, loses its mt
appetite, becomes emaciated, egg production ceases entirely, and
the mortality is often very high. th,
Prevention. Poultry should be fed a balanced ration. The W
importance of green feed and clean water should not be for- ,,
gotten. The houses should be dry, properly ventilated, and well Ty
lighted. Crowding the birds should be avoided. Ample roost- m,
ing space should be provided. Houses should be cleaned at least OY
once a week. Drinking utensils should be scalded with boiling ,,1,
wate1·. The fowls should be kept free of lice and mites. The ,,1,
addition of medicinal agents to the drinking water as a routine Us
procedure is not to be recommended. Frequent use of epsoni 1,0
salt is to be discouraged. New birds and returned show stock 0,,
should be quarantined for two weeks before being placed with B_
the flock. Shipping crates should not be used. for fowls unless
they have been cleaned and disinfected. ,,1
Dampness, drafts, insanitary surroundings and parasites  
favor the spread and severity of chicken pox but are not the T;
cause of the disease. Healthy, vigorous birds kept in clean, dry, Cl,
well—ventilated houses are quite as apt to contract chicken pox ai M
are birds in poor condition or infested with parasites. However, b,
once the disease is introduced into an unthrifty flock the infec- Si
tion will spread more rapidly, the disease will appear in a more
severe form, the mortality will be higher and, if the birds are q
vaccinated, the results will be less favorable. It is generally tl
believed that biting insects, such as mites, lice, and mosquitoes, Cl
may help to spread the infection. N]
1’rcr0n!ive lY(l~(‘('l.)l(llLl·0’lli. Cutaneous chicken-pox vaccine is ll
used for the prevention of the disease. This is sometimes called Hi
the follicle method of vaccination, A few feathers are plucliell ·  
from the front part of the leg and the vaccine is rubbed in with xi
a camel’s-hair brush. Persons handling the vaccine should not
handle the birds as they may infect other parts of the bird and
a generalized case of chicken pox will result. llealthy birds, in F
good condition, free from eoccidiosis and worms, and less than ‘l
fourteen weeks old are the best subjects for vaccination. Vacci- l
nation of laying hens and pullets, with cutaneous chicken pox l`
vaccine may cause a severe reaction 1·csulting in a heavy loss in

 if
Chicken Pox. 3
sually egg production. Cutaneous Chickéil-pox vaccine is not recom-
ses its mended for use in flocks in which chicken pox has appea;~€d_
i? and Treatment. If only a few birds appear to have the disease,
they should be killed and burned at once, unless they are very
· Tilt? valuable and are worth isolation and individual treatment, Give
6 {OF- a dose of epsom salt as soon as disease is noticed in the flock.
d Well The seabs and exudation on the skin and diseased membranes
1`00Si· may be removed and the sores painted with tincture of iodine
fleas or treated with an ointment. Affected eyes should be cleaned
*0mHS and two drops of a 15% solution of argyrol placed in each eye
Tht and in each nostril. The houses should be cleaned daily. The
Outiml use of disinfectants is not of much value and may cause the
GPSOIH houses to become damp. Drinking utensils should be sealded
Stock each day. One of the chlorinated antiseptics, such as Zonite or
l with B-K, may be used in the drinking water.
umm Treatment by Vaccination. Vaccination is the only satis-
ragim factory flock treatment for chicken pon and is- highly effective,
` ` especially if it is used along with strict santiary precautions.
Ot H10 The results of vaccination of the flock already infected with
1’ (hill chicken pox will depend upon the condition of the birds. If the
pox as birds are free of disease other than chicken pox the results will
\YGWY’ be far more satisfactory than where the birds are heavily para- "
mfr sitized and otherwise unhealthy.
i more
ds are Several products are on the market that are of use in
lempy diseased flocks. Mixed infection bacterin avian is one of the
[MOH; common names used for these products. Chicken pox vaccine
made from bacteria isolated from the lesions of chicken pox,
Zim is which also contains chicken pox seab, is, in our opinion, far
Called more beneficial and safer to use in badly infected flocks. Qluckcn
luckgd l pox vaccines are now made by a number of veterinary biological  
L1 with lilboratories in the country and may be obtained thru local
M not vetermarians.
‘d and Ofizcr CO7l·dZ·Zll·()7lS 2·cscnzZ1Zz°ng C]ll.(‘]»`Cll por. As a result of
rds, in studies of various infections resembling chicken pox it has been
s than observed that fowls may suffer from inflammatory changes of
Vacci- the eye, nose, and throat, producing symptoms and lesions that
~n pox , resemble true chicken pox in some or many respects.
loss in Simple catarrh is a mild inflammation of the nasal passages.

 4 Kcm‘ucl.·y Erieimsion C’i7`Clll(l2` N0. 211.
Contagious eatarrh, or roup, attacks the membranes of the
eyes, sinuses, nostrils, and windpipe.
Nutritional roup is a disease of growing chicks resembling
roup in appearance. This condition can be corrected by adding
green feed, cod-liver oil, or egg yolks to the ration.
A specific infection of fowls known as infectious bronchitis
resembles chicken pox in many of its manifestations, especially
that type in which skin lessions are not easy to find.
It has often been demonstrated in outbreaks of chicken pox,
where the typical skin lessions apparently are absent, that small
lesions can be found on various parts of the body. But if care-
ful examination of a number of affected birds does not show an
eruption on any part, the inference is that the trouble is not
chicken pox. -
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