Canker, Pigeon Canker, Trichomoniasis, Roup or Frounce
Index of Bird Diseases ... Symptoms & Potential Causes ... Bird Species & Diseases They are Most Susceptible to ... Bird Health Care
Bird Health / Avian Medicine Library: Shipped out of:: 
.. 
.. 
.. 
Trichomoniasis in domestic fowl, pigeons, doves, and hawks is characterized, in most cases, by caseous accumulations in the throat and usually by weight loss. It has been termed “canker,” “roup,” and, in hawks, “frounce.”
Etiology:
The causative organism is Trichomonas gallinae, a flagellated protozoan that lives in the sinuses, mouth, throat, esophagus, and other organs. It is more prevalent among domestic pigeons and wild doves than among domestic fowl, although severe outbreaks have been reported in chickens and turkeys. Some strains of Tgallinae cause high mortality in pigeons and doves. Hawks may become diseased after eating infected birds and commonly show liver lesions, with or without throat involvement. Pigeons and doves transmit the infection to their offspring in contaminated pigeon milk. Contaminated water is probably the most important source of infection for chickens and turkeys.
Clinical Findings:
Lesions:
The bird may be riddled with caseous, necrotic foci. The mouth and esophagus contain a mass of necrotic material that may extend into the skull and sometimes through the surrounding tissues of the neck to involve the skin. In the esophagus and crop, the lesions may be yellow, rounded, raised areas, with a central conical caseous spur, often referred to as “yellow buttons.” The crop may be covered by a yellowish, diphtheritic membrane that may extend to the proventriculus. The gizzard and intestine are not involved. Lesions of internal organs are most frequent in the liver; they vary from a few small, yellow areas of necrosis to almost complete replacement of liver tissue by caseous necrotic debris. Adhesions and involvement of other internal organs appear to be contact extensions of the liver lesions.
Diagnosis:
Lesions of Tgallinae infection are characteristic but not pathognomonic; those of pox and other infections can be similar. Diagnosis should be confirmed by microscopic examination of a smear of mucus or fluid from the throat to demonstrate the presence of trichomonads. Trichomonads can be cultured easily in various artificial media such as 0.2% Loeffler’s dried blood serum in Ringer’s solution or a 2% solution of pigeon serum in isotonic salt solution. Good growth is obtained at 98.6°F (37°C). Antibiotics may be used to reduce bacterial contamination.
Control:
Because T gallinae infection in pigeons is so readily transmitted from parent to offspring in the normal feeding process, chronically infected birds should be separated from breeding birds. In pigeons, recovery from infection with a less virulent strain of T gallinae appears to provide some protection against subsequent attack by a more virulent strain. Successful treatments include metronidazole (60 mg/kg body wt) and dimetridazole (50 mg/kg body wt, PO; or in the drinking water at 0.05% for 5-6 days). Neither of these drugs is approved for use in birds in the USA.
Source: Merckvetmanual.com
Pigeon Canker
G.D. Butcher, D.V.M., Ph.D.Trichomoniasis (pigeon canker) is the most common disease of pigeons. Approximately 80 percent of pigeons are infected with this organism. The organism is a microscopic flagellate classified as a protozoan. Different strains, Trichomonas gallinae or Trichomonas columbae , vary greatly in their ability to cause disease. The disease occurs worldwide in warm climates or during warm weather. It may occur at any time of the year in commercial squab operations. Adult pigeons frequently carry the trichomonads without showing signs of disease. When the adult pigeon is stressed, however, the organisms may multiply profusely. A mild infection can then turn into a serious condition. Stresses include other diseases, parasitic infestations, or overbreeding.
Affected pigeons in a loft may cease to feed, become listless and ruffled in appearance, and lose weight before death. Pigeons often have difficulty when closing their mouths because of lesions in the oral cavity. They drool and make repeated swallowing movements. Watery eyes may be apparent in birds with lesions located in the sinuses or tissues around the eyes. Diarrhea, increased water intake, and respiratory distress may be noted. Birds may die suddenly due to suffocation if the lesion blocks the opening of the trachea. The disease becomes more severe in birds that are noticeably emaciated. The thin weakened bird loses the inclination to fly and will "take to the wing" reluctantly.
Pigeons that are carriers often transmit trichomonads to their young during feeding. The disease is common in 10- to 24-day-old squabs. As a method of feeding their young, pigeons regurgitate the sloughed, fat laden cells lining the crop (crop milk) into the oral cavity of the squabs. If squabs are infected with only small numbers of the protozoan, they may develop immunity which is maintained by constant low-level exposure. If squabs are infected with large numbers, a severe outbreak may occur and endanger the entire young generation.
Lesions of canker are usually most extensive in the mouth, pharynx, or esophagus but may occur at other sites including the crop, proventriculus, or sinuses. The infection is promoted by minor injuries to these tissues. The spelts and awns from grains can easily cause small lesions. The lesions first appear as small, circumscribed, and elevated areas on the surface of the oral mucosa. They may be surrounded by a thin red zone. The lesions may increase in size and coalesce. The build-up of white to yellow/tan caseous material may be sufficiently extensive to partially or completely block the lumen of the esophagus. Organisms may also enter the body through the unhealed navel of squabs. In this form, necrotic tumor-like swellings occur under the skin adjacent to the navel. Lesions can spread to various internal organs, particularly the liver. Large, well-defined, and yellowish areas of hepatic necrosis may be found on necropsy examination.
Typical signs and lesions are very suggestive of the disease. Demonstration of large numbers of organisms in the oral fluids is usually considered enough evidence for diagnosis. The small plaques in the mucosa should be differentiated from pox, vitamin-A deficiency, or candidiasis.
Since the organism is transmitted from parent to squab, every effort should be made to treat or remove infected birds from the flock. If possible, depopulate at regular intervals and thoroughly clean and disinfect the premises.
In addition, the following preventive measures should help: practice a high standard of sanitation at all times; do not add birds to an established flock since they may be carriers (if birds are added, quarantine for 30 days); and provide a source of clean, fresh water eliminating all sources of stagnant water.
The antiprotozoal drugs which were used successfully in treating this disease, such as dimetridazole and metronidazole, have been removed from the market. Experimentally, a number of drugs are active against trichomonas infection. Use of 0.1% copper sulfate (100 mg per 100 ml of drinking water), 0.5% hydrochloric acid or 0.02% mercuric chloride (sublimate) is worth investigating. The optimum time to treat breeding pairs is at the initiation of egg production.
Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM032
Case History - San Bernardino, California: Large number of dead birds appear to literally “fall out of the sky,” with no apparent signs of trauma on their bodies. After some investigation by wildlife experts, the culprit appears to be a little-known bird disease called canker.
Diane Dragotto Williams, executive director of Wildhaven Ranch in Cedar Glen, offered answers to the puzzling deaths of local birds.
“Whenever there is a concentrated population of wildlife, disease soon follows.” Williams said.
Trichomoniasis, more commonly known as “pigeon canker,” affects approximately 80 percent of the pigeon population, Williams said. Canker is microscopic and can lie dormant in adult birds until some moment of stress triggers the outbreak. Once triggered, however, death becomes imminent.
The birds will develop yellow, cheese-like lesions in their throats and will exhibit signs of “panting,” with their mouths open. They may be lethargic and slow to fly away as healthy birds would do when startled. Eventually, the birds will either starve to death or asphyxiate because of the swollen lesions in their esophagus.
Williams said there is a large breakout of canker in the San Bernardino Mountains. Since the disease can not be cured and is highly transferable, it is almost impossible to control.
Well-meaning residents are unknowingly helping to keep the disease in motion, Williams said. The higher the concentration of infected birds at a feeding station, the greater the chance that the disease can be transferred, she said. Since canker is transferred through the mouth and feces, ill birds can pass the disease to other birds through contact with the seeds in a common bird feeder, since the sick birds cannot swallow and spit the germ-infested seeds back into the feeder.
The young of infected birds also contract the disease. As a method of feeding their young, birds regurgitate fat-laden cells that have been sloughed off the inner lining of their throat and into the oral cavities of their babies, transferring the disease. Wildlife specialists are asking the community for help in controlling the canker outbreak. Residents are being reminded to refrain from feeding local wild birds.
There are a few things residents can do to help if there has been a high number of dead birds found near their bird feeders. Wildlife experts at Wildhaven Ranch recommend that the food source be removed for at least a month and that feeding areas be thoroughly disinfected.
This disease could affect carrion bird populations eventually, as they could become infected through eating the carcasses of diseased birds, Williams said. Canker, and diseases similar to it, could eventually throw off the ecological balance of the mountains. Seedeaters are the first to be affected, and will transfer the disease to those animals that consider small birds to be prey. It is unknown at this time whether the disease can cross species to such animals as coyotes and raccoons, or how far up the food chain it might eventually move.
Source: Alpenhornnews
Dead Birds
Q. What should I do if I find a dead bird?
A. Check with with your local or state health department for instructions on reporting and diposing of a dead bird. If you need to pick up a dead bird, or local authorities tell you to simply dispose of it: Avoid bare-handed contact with any dead animals, and use gloves or an inverted plastic bag to place the bird carcass in a garbage bag and dispose of it with your routine trash.
Q. How can I report a sighting of dead bird(s) in my area?
A. State and local health departments start collecting reports of dead birds at different times in the year. Some wait until the weather becomes warm before initiating their surveillance (disease monitoring) program. For information about reporting dead birds in your specific area, please contact your state or local health department.
Q. Why do some areas stop collecting dead birds?
A. Some states and jurisdictions are no longer collecting dead birds because they have sufficiently established that the virus is in an area, and additional testing will not reveal any more information. Shifting resources away from testing of dead birds allows those resources to be devoted elsewhere in surveillance and control.
Many disease-causing organisms / toxins are transmitted via air and water. If you suspect a disease problem (or if you would like to prevent one), please investigate the possibility of filtering your air and purifying / treating your birds' drinking water.
Natural Antibiotics / Herbal Anti-inflammatories - Strengthening Your Immunesystem Naturally (human applications - discuss with your holistic vet)
NEED A VET?
USA: Find Your Local Avian Veterinarian
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
Bird Cages:
