How to Prevent and Treat Bronchitis in Quail Farming
1) Epidemic characteristics: Quail bronchitis is an acute, highly contagious respiratory disease caused by quail bronchitis virus (QBV). It is characterized by watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, sinus inflammation, rapid spread and high mortality. QBV is transmitted through contact and air. Quail within 8 weeks of age are susceptible. The morbidity rate in quail is as high as 100%, and the mortality rate is 50%-100%.
2) Clinical symptoms and pathological changes: ① Clinical symptoms: The incubation period is 4-7 days. Sick quail are listless, with conjunctivitis and watery eyes; sinus inflammation and head shaking; sneezing, coughing, labored breathing, and tracheal rales; they often gather together and crowd into a corner; neurological symptoms sometimes appear. Laying quail show a decline in egg production and lay deformed eggs. ② Pathological changes: Conjunctivitis and corneal opacity; sinus inflammation, sometimes with purulent discharge; inflammation and lesions in the lungs and trachea, with large amounts of mucus inside; cloudy air sac membranes with a foggy appearance and viscous exudate; necrotic lesions sometimes occur in the liver; peritonitis with purulent exudate in the abdominal cavity.
3) Prevention and control measures: At present, there is no effective vaccine for prevention, nor any specific drug treatment. ① Strengthen routine management, appropriately raise the temperature of brooder houses and quail houses, improve ventilation conditions, and maintain reasonable stocking density to reduce mortality. ② Sick quail can be given antibiotics; during illness, add 0.04%-0.08% oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline to feed and drinking water. ③ Strengthen epidemic prevention work and strictly prevent virus carriers from coming into contact with quail. Strengthen disinfection of quail houses. Stop hatching during the disease outbreak; sick quail must not be used for breeding, and breeding quail in affected flocks should be culled.