Symptoms and Prevention Methods of Duck Arthritis Syndrome

1. Main symptoms.

Sick ducks mainly show joint swelling, most commonly in the hock joint, followed by the knee joint, hip joint and toe joints. The affected joints are swollen and purplish-red, feel hot on palpation, are relatively soft at the beginning and then gradually harden, with severe lameness or inability to walk, reduced feed intake, gradual weight loss and increased mortality.

2. Preventive measures.

The disease is associated with a variety of bacterial infections, such as Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Riemerella anatipestifer, etc. In the feeding system, the "all-in, all-out" principle should be maintained, with strict disinfection, and corresponding prevention and control measures should be taken against Riemerella anatipestifer infection. Breeding duck farms should also carry out disinfection of hatching eggs and incubation equipment to prevent vertical transmission of Salmonella. Attention should usually be paid to preventing feed contamination, especially fish meal and meat meal, and bacteriological testing should be carried out. Remove sharp foreign objects from the litter in duck houses and from exercise yards to prevent Staphylococcus infection.