Western
Meeting of Poultry
Clinicians and Pathologists
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Clinicians and Pathologists
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An Unusual Presentation of Fowlpox Victoria Bowes Animal Health Centre Up until the recent outbreak, poxvirus infection was seen only occasionally in wild songbirds in British Columbia. In October of 1997, four separate cases of fowlpox occurred within a three week period in the Mission area, all in backyard poultry. Birds presented with severe cutaneous lesions and high mortality. Six weeks later a flock of 45 week old commercial layers experienced a 5% production drop associated with 3% mortality. All birds submitted for diagnostic workup to the Animal Health Centre had occlusion of the larynx with a firm caseous mass. This tissue was positive for poxvirus by electron microscopy. Vaccine was administered to the affected flock and a disease alert was issued. No further cases were reported until March 1998 when three new cases of fowlpox laryngeal occlusion and focal necrotizing proliferative tracheitis were diagnosed in layer flocks, which had received birds from the index premises. All of these farms were vaccinated and the recommendation for restricted bird movement was made. A fourth case of fowlpox was confirmed in September, but this time the lesions were typical of the "dry" form of pox. Due to it’s extremely low incidence, British Columbia poultry producers have never had to routinely vaccinate for fowlpox. With the common practice of "topping-up" birds to fulfill quota requirements, it is most likely that fowlpox will continue to be a problem for laying birds, now that the infection has established itself on several premises. A limited vaccination program has been proposed with the hope to contain the infection to the geographic area in which the cases have been diagnosed. It is possible that in the future all commercial layers will have to be routinely vaccinated for fowlpox.
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