Avian Flu Symptoms in Chickens and How to Treat and Prevent It
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), known as avian flu or chicken flu, has taken over the chicken world this year. If you’re a chicken keeper, it’s critical to understand everything you can about this contagious and deadly disease in order to keep your flock healthy. In this guide, we’re going to share avian flu symptoms in chickens and how to treat them.
Disclaimer: We’ve gotten all of our information from reliable sources, which we’ll share throughout this article.
What is Avian Influenza?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Avian influenza or flu is a disease that’s caused by specific flu viruses. The viruses naturally spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide, and they can also infect domestic birds. Although it’s possible, it’s rare for the virus to infect humans.
Avian influenza A viruses are classified into two categories: low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). LPAI causes little to no symptoms, while HPAI usually causes severe symptoms and sometimes death. HPAI is what we’re struggling with around the United States currently (2022). More on that here.
Wild birds and poultry can be infected with bird flu. Infected birds can spread the virus through their saliva, mucus, or faces. Wild birds can spread it to poultry, and backyard chickens can spread it via shared food and water.
Although avian flu is taking over the wild birds in the United States right now, it poses a low risk to the public.
How do I know if my chicken has avian flu?
Unfortunately, sudden death can occur before you see avian flu symptoms in chickens. However, there are many times when you’ll notice signs, including respiratory and/or digestive issues, along with some physical signs such as swelling and discoloration. Keep reading for a detailed list of symptoms you may notice from infected birds.
Avian Flu Symptoms in Chickens
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the CDC, you may notice these signs if you have a chicken with HPAI:
- Lack of energy, appetite, and coordination
- Purple discoloration
- Swelling of various body parts, especially around the head, neck and eyes
- Diarrhea
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Reduced egg production
- Soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
Some poultry, usually turkeys, show nervous symptoms such as tremors, twisted necks, paralyzed wings, and lying down and pedaling.
If you notice any of these symptoms or any other unusual signs that could be connected to illness, be sure to wear disposable gloves (or gloves that can be disinfected) and wash your hands thoroughly after contact.
How do you diagnose bird flu?
If you notice any of these avian flu symptoms in birds, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test can detect the virus.
According to the USDA, you’ll need to report the suspected virus to your state animal health official. You can also contact your vet, who can help you with this. Once you do this, a sample can be taken by swabbing your chicken’s mucus for the PCR test.
How do you treat chickens with bird flu?
Unfortunately, you can’t treat avian flu. In this article, the CDC discusses that depopulation or “culling” is usually necessary. Otherwise, it’s critical to quarantine your infected chicken(s) to contain the virus. We definitely recommend talking about this matter with your vet and animal health officials.
Can I prevent bird flu?
Since you can’t treat avian flu symptoms in birds, it’s best to try and prevent the virus. Here are steps you can take to protect your chickens from the virus:
- Keep wild birds away by covering or enclosing your outdoor feeding areas. More on predator-proofing your coop here.
- Limit or avoid traveling with your chickens.
- Make sure your hands, clothes, and shoes are clean before handling your chickens. This applies to visitors, too.
If you have free-range chickens, it’s best to shelter their area to keep wild birds away. You’ll also want to confine your free-range chickens if you hear of HPAI in your area.
Avian Flu Symptoms in Birds: Final Thoughts
We hope this article has helped you understand more about this unfortunate disease. While it’s not a fun topic, knowing as much as you can about chicken illnesses allows you to better maintain a happy and healthy flock.
If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below!
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