Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-12-23
POULTRY
CONSULTING DEPARTMENT
Conducted by VI. w. HICKS

!
The disease called ''roup" by poul-
| trymen is a contagious catarrh, closely
resembling the more malignant forms
OF influenza in the larger animals and
In man. 1t attacks principally the
membranes lining the eye, the sacs be-
low the eye (infra-orbital sinuses) =,
the nostrils, thelarynx and the trachea.
1t is attended with high fever and is
very contagious.
Roup appears to be strictly con-
/ tagious disease; that is, one which
arises only. so far as known, by con-
tagion from other diseased birds. The
nature of the microbe which con
stitutes the virus is not known. The
contagion is generally brought into
the poultry yard by infected birds.
Sometimes these are birds which are
purchased from other flocks in which
the disease exists; sometimes they are
birds of the home flock which have
been TO exhibitions and there exposed
to sick fowls; and sometimes they are
wild birds or pigeons which fly from
one poultry yard to another.
The saliva and the discharge which
escapes from the nostrils carry the
contagion, and soon contaminates the
drinking water and feeding troughs so
that all the fowls are infected Even
the fiocks in adjoining yards are in
fected by the particles Of mucus pro-
jected into the air when sneezing, or
by the contagion carried on the feet
of persons, animals or small birds that
pass from one yard to another.
Delicate birds are inclined to severe
attacks and to recover slowly, and Of
ten chronic condition persists for a
long time. Birds so affected may
carry and spread the contagion for a
year or more and become the cause
of new outbreaks of the disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms first seen are very
similar to those of an ordinary cold |
but there is more fever, dullness and /
prostration. The discharge from the /
nasal opening is at first thin and !
watery, but in two or three days be- I
comes thick and obstructs the breath T
ing. The Inflammation, which begins
in the nasal passages, soon extends to
the eyes and to the spaces which eX-
list Immediately below the eyeballs
Onfra-orbital spaces). The eyelids
are swollen. held closed much of the
time, and may be glued together by
the accumulated secretion. The birds
sneeze and shake their heads in their
efforts to free the air passages from
the thick mucus. The appetite is
diminished and the birds sit with their
heads drawn in, wings dropping and
having general appearance of de-
preston and illness.
When the inflammation reaches the
spaces or sacs beneath the eyes il
causes the formation Of "a secretion
very similar to that of the nose. and
rs this becomes thick il collects, dis
ends the walls of these spaces and
produces warm and painful swelling,
which is seen just below the eyes and
nay reach the size Of a hickory nut
This swelling presses with much force
IN the eyeball, which is displaced and
more or less deformed; and in eX-
RENE cases even the bones of the
read may give way before it,
The closure Of the eyes prevents the
adly affected birds from finding food: ;
he accumulation of mucus in the nos
rils completely obstructs these pas .
ages, so that the beak must be kept :
pen in order 10 breathe; the obstruc-
ion of the windpipe and the smaller i,
ir tubes causes loud breathing sounds
nd difficult respiration. Z
Advanced Cases
In the severe and advanced cases
ne birds sit in a somnolent or semi =
onscious condition, unable TO see or :
} eat; their strength is rapidly ex- l
austed, and many of them die within I
week or ten days. A part OF the af- f
'cted individuals recover, but others v
)ntinue weak and have chronic Z,
'rm OF the disease for months. during 81
hich time they continue TO dis :
inmate the contagion.
This disease is distinguished from :,
phtheria by the absence Of the thick "
ugh and very adherent newly form
membranes (false membranes) in
lie nostrils, mouth and throat which -
e characteristics of the latter. There C;
ay sometimes be a deposit of yellow te
n material on the walls Of the mouth n,
I'd throat, but il is easily broken up O.,
Id removed. -
1t has been recommended that the h,
rd's head be plunged into a basin or y
wi of the mixture and held there a
w seconds, but not long enough to ~
use suffocation IN
ST