Introduction
An infection of ducks with the bacterium Streptococcus bovis. This condition is a cause of sudden deaths in ducklings of 2-3 weeks of age.
Signs
- Sudden deaths.
- Leg weakness or incoordination in a few birds. Affected well-grown birds may appear to have died from smothering.
Post-mortem lesions
- Beak cyanosis.
- Lung congestion and oedema.
- Liver congestion.
- Splenic hyperplasia.
Diagnosis
History, lesions, isolation. Sodium deficiency can appear very similar at about the same age – affected birds respond well to saline injection and will actively seek out salt scattered in the litter.
Treatment
Amoxycillin.
Prevention
Good husbandry and hygiene, extra care in the immediate post-brooding period.