Salmonellosis has one of the highest mortality rates of any infectious bacterial
disease of pigeons.
Pathogen:Salmonella_ typhimurium var. copenhagen, designated as the "pigeon type"
salmonella strain.
Given the right conditions, the bacterium can remain infective in the environment
for 1 year or more.
Salmonellae are spread by:inhalation of dust containing the pathogen contaminated feed (insects, mice, rats)
dirty feed troughs and water bowls mating transmission from the hen to the egg
feeding the nestlings with infected crop milk and billingchronic carriers: pigeons that appear healthy after surviving salmonella infection,
but shed the pathogen at irregular intervals and thus- pose a risk to the current
flock and their progeny.
Clinical signs:
Acute form (mainly affects young pigeons):
Enteritis with pulpy, mucoid, greenish droppings; once organs (liver, kidneys,
spleen) have become infected, there is growth retardation, emaciation and (in
isolated cases) death. Embryos infected with salmonellae frequently die in ovo or
during the first few days of life.
Chronic form (mainly affects adult pigeons):
Inflammation causes a thickening of the joints, especially the elbow joint, wing or
leg lameness, disorders of balance and torsion of the neck. Recognition of the
disease: Bacteriological examination of faecal and/or organ samples. An
antibiogram is performed to determine which medication is suitable for treatment
purposes.