What are signs of fowl pox?

The dry form is manifest as pimples or scabs on the skin (mainly on unfeathered parts of the body). The diphtheritic form shows cankers or yellow lesions in the mouth, oesophagus or trachea. Other symptoms include blindness, feed refusal, lowered egg production, facial swelling.

Is fowl pox contagious?

Fowl pox is also spread from bird to bird through direct contact. The virus is airborne and can infect birds through their eyes or skin wounds or when they breathe. Although the disease is contagious, it spreads slowly.

Does fowl pox affect humans?

Avian pox does not represent a risk to human heath, however some mammalian species may be susceptible to the virus. In the distant past, the disease was mistakenly thought to be related to small pox or chicken pox in humans.

What is the vaccine for fowl pox?

Poxine® is recommended for vaccination against fowl pox in healthy chickens 6 weeks of age or older and in healthy turkeys 8 weeks of age or older. Store this vaccine at not above 45°F (7°C).

Can a chicken get fowl pox twice?

A flock can be infected with both forms of the disease at the same time, and, on occasion, an individual bird may be infected with both forms. Infection with either form will generally cause depressed appetite, weight loss, and a drop in egg production.

What does wet fowl pox look like?

Wet pox occurs as elevated white opaque nodules or yellowish patches on the mucous membranes of the mouth (Figure 3), esophagus, tongue, glottis, or upper trachea (Figure 4). Nodules rapidly increase in size and often coalesce to become a yellow cheesy, necrotic, or diphtheritic membrane.

Do chickens recover from fowl pox?

Infection with either form will generally cause depressed appetite, weight loss, and a drop in egg production. Individual birds infected with dry pox usually recover in 2 to 4 weeks, but it may take several weeks or months for the entire flock to recover because the fowl pox virus spreads slowly throughout the flock.