PREVALENCE OF FOWL POX IN TURKEYS AND CHICKENS AND THEIR MANAGEMENTS AT AREA VETERINARY CLINIC, AZARE, BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of fowl pox in turkeys and chickens and their clinical managements in north-eastern Nigeria. Five (5) years clinical data on poultry diseases containing about 3700 cases were collected from Area Veterinary Clinic Azare, Bauchi State Nigeria. Information on fowl pox in chicken and turkey were then extracted 1236 (33.40). The data revealed that turkeys had higher prevalence, (69.58%) compared to chickens (30.42%). The frequency of female infected birds 697(56.39%) was higher than male counterparts 539(43.61%), and young birds 744(60.20%) are more prone to the infection than the adult 492(39.80%). Yearly incidence of fowl pox in turkeys and chickens from 2014 - 2018 was greatest in 2016 (300 cases) with 196 turkeys (65.33%) and 104 chickens (34.67%) while in the year 2018, 150 cases were recorded. The overall prevalence of fowl pox associated with chickens was recorded in 2016, 104(27.66%), but the highest overall prevalence of fowl pox in turkey was in 2017, 23.73% (201). The result also reveals that prevalence of the disease increases from May to August and declined through December. About 71.93% of the management/ treatment given to the infected birds were scrapping, dressing (reduction of the viral load) and antibiotic administration against secondary bacterial infection; this implies that it is the most commonly used and effective management system adopted. Therefore, ideal poultry husbandry and other management practices should be implemented in poultry production areas to prevent the incidence of the disease by improving the hygiene of birds