Infectious Coryza

INFECTIOUS CORYZA
• Rapidly spreading respiratory disease

found primarily in chickens.
• All affected birds will be showing signs by
the third day.
• Modern management methods have
reduced the incidence, still a problem in
congested poultry populations.
• All-in/all-out management practices are
recommended.
• Avoid multiple-age farms if possible.
CAUSATIVE AGENT
• Bacterium Hemophilus paragallinarum.
• This organism is quite fragile and requires "carrier"

birds to transmit the disease under field conditions.
• Surviving hens will remain carriers.

COMMENT
• This disease is quite important the
world over in tropical climates.
• In the U.S., it is found mainly in

California and Florida in commercial
flocks, but may be found most
anywhere in backyard flocks.
• It has occurred in South Georgia.

COMMENT
• Infectious coryza occurs in broilers in many tropical countries
such as Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and
Africa.
• It usually occurs after 4 wks. of age and cannot be prevented
by vaccination.
• Weight loss and low feed conversion are the results of
infection.
• These birds appear sleepy and sit around the walls. Sinuses
do not swell much in broilers.
• It may cycle through gamecocks.
COMMENT
• One problem with this disease is the amount
of debilitation that results in a flock.
• The cull rate with this condition may run as
high as 20%.
• Very costly in started pullets.
• Pullets are usually affected when they come
into production. This will decrease egg
production.
COMMENT
• If laying hens become infected 40-50%
productions losses are common.
• Foreign countries where infectious coryza

occurs usually have Mycoplasma
infections also.
• Together these conditions are quite

debilitating and cause severe economic
losses.
INCUBATION PERIOD
One to three days.
COURSE OF DISEASE
• One to three weeks or may become
chronic and persist for several
months.
• Aggravated by cold, damp weather.
• Secondary infection causes chronic
condition.
MORTALITY
• Usually low, but poor management and

unsanitary condition as well as secondary
infection will increase mortality.
METHOD OF SPREAD
1. Carrier birds.
2. Direct contact and airborne droplets.
3. Contaminated water spreads the disease once it
is established in the flock.
CLINICAL SIGNS
1. Clear nasal discharge that becomes thick and
purulent.
2. Severe unilateral or bilateral swelling of infraorbital
sinuses, with eyes completely closed. Foam may
accumulate in the corner of the eye due to blocked
ducts. The turbinates are normal.
Some swell so severely they appear bruised.
3. Yellowish dry crust around nasal opening.
Secondary bacterial infections in the sinus is
common.
CLINICAL SIGNS (CONT.)
4. Dyspnea. (Difficult breathing).
5. Offensive odor of the nasal discharge.
6. Broilers get very sleepy and may loose about

1 wk. of growth and have high condemnation
rates at processing.
Conjunctivitis, sinusitis, nasal
discharge
Conjunctivitis, sinusitis, nasal
discharge
Nasal, eye exudate
Conjunctivitis
Sinusitis, conjunctivitis, nasal
discharge
Sinusitis, nasal discharge
Sinusitis
Sinusitis, conjunctivitis, nasal
discharge
POSTMORTEM LESIONS
1. Tenacious, white to yellow pus and
mucus accumulation in the infraorbital
sinus.
2. Airsacculitis in chronic cases.

Chronic sinusitis
DIAGNOSIS
• SUGGESTIVE - Fast moving respiratory disease
that produces swollen faces.
• POSITIVE - Isolation and identification of

causative organism. Can inject sinus exudate in
susceptible chicks and get typical lesions in two
or three days. It is easier to culture the
organism in these birds just beginning to show
signs, before other bacteria invade.
Infectious Coryza;
Sinus exudate. It’s best to culture birds that have just come down with
the disease before secondary bacteria can invade.
Blood agar
Cross streak with Staphylococcus. Provides V factor and NAD.
Incubate 48 hr. under 10% CO2
Satellite phenomenon - small colonies next to Staph streak
Gram (-) pleomorphic rod, catalase negative
(H. avium is catalase positive, but is not pathogenic)
To improve the chance of isolation, flush the affected sinuses with saline
and inject the rinsate into sinuses of health susceptible leghorns. In 3-4
days, sinus swelling should be visible. Culture these sinuses to get pure
coryza.
Hemopholis colonies with nurse
culture
Gram negative rods
TREATMENT (CONT.)
• Most commonly used sulfa drug at
present is Sulfadimethoxine
(Agribon) in the water and/or
RofenaidTM in the feed.
• Cannot use sulfa drugs in birds

laying eggs for human consumption.
TREATMENT (CONT.)
• INJECT - Dihydrostreptomycin sulfate
0.2 grams per hen.
• Sulfa drug mixtures in water.
• Erythromycin in the water at the rate of 2 grams per
gallon or injected as directed on label. This drug cuts
down on spread when used in the water. This allows
development of immunity but still get egg production
drops and carrier birds.
• Cannot use these drugs on hens laying eggs for human
consumption.
PREVENTION
• Complete segregation of pullet stock
from mature birds.
• All in all out farming breaks the cycle.
• If a farm is infected, you must depopulate

to eradicate the disease.
PREVENTION (CONT.)
• California method - multiple age farms.
• Procure pullets at 16 wks, vaccinate with
yolk bacterin, allow to become infected,
treat with erythromycin or sulfa drugs, cull
before they come into production. This is a
common practice in the Caribbean.
• By exposing the birds as pullets, production
drops associated with infection during lay
can be avoided.
PREVENTION (CONT.)
• A bacterin is available, Coryza-o-vac,
Solvay Laboratories, developed at UGA.
• This works well in older birds.
• Given 2 to 3 times depending on
exposure situation.
• Immunity is very short lived due to
adaptability of the organism.
• Japanese also produce a bacterin.
• Local bacterins produced in many
countries.

Infectious Coryza

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Infectious Coryza

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Infectious Coryza

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INFECTIOUS CORYZA

• Rapidly spreading respiratory disease

• This organism is quite fragile and requires "carrier"

• Surviving hens will remain carriers.

• In the U.S., it is found mainly in

• It has occurred in South Georgia.

• Foreign countries where infectious coryza

• Together these conditions are quite

• Usually low, but poor management and

5. Offensive odor of the nasal discharge.

6. Broilers get very sleepy and may loose about

2. Airsacculitis in chronic cases.

• POSITIVE - Isolation and identification of

• Cannot use sulfa drugs in birds

• All in all out farming breaks the cycle.

• If a farm is infected, you must depopulate

You might also like