Diseases are a common thread among all living beings and birds don’t escape the ravages of infectious agents; they get sick, too, and can have a very hard time if their health is impaired. So what do birds get sick from? Find out below.
Table of Contents
Why do birds get sick?
Birds rarely get sick, but that doesn’t mean they can’t suffer from a life-threatening disease. Illness is a threat both in the wild and in captivity. When they live as pets in captivity, their owner’s care is critical to guarantee their good health.
If you are here, you most likely own a bird or are thinking of getting one. In general, pet birds are inexpensive and easy to care for, some species more than others; however, they are animals that require basic care in feeding, hygiene, and health to ensure their welfare.
Birds have infectious enemies like all species of animals and pets. In most cases, they are most affected by viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases, especially due to carelessness in hygiene and habitat changes.
What diseases should I watch out for in my bird?
Diseases that affect birds
Viral diseases in birds
Viruses are microscopic organisms belonging to the taxon acytota or acellular organisms. These beings without cellular structure have not been classified as either living or non-living beings, they are practically the “zombies” of nature.
Viruses are infectious agents par excellence because they affect all types of organisms and birds are no exception. Here are the main viral diseases that affect birds:
Avian influenza
Causes
It’s a viral disease caused by the type A avian influenza (flu) virus, spread through contact with infected birds through mucus, saliva and feces or contaminated surfaces.
It is a natural disease of wild waterfowl all over the world, making them sick and even causing their death. But, it can also affect domestic poultry such as:
- Chickens.
- Turkeys.
- Geese.
Symptoms
- Ruffled plumage.
- Affections in the respiratory system.
- Internal hemorrhages.
- Depression.
- Reduction in egg laying.
Avian smallpox
Causes
It’s a disease of slow spread and development very common in birds and caused by several strains of the Variola avium virus. It spreads through contact between infected birds by means of mucous membranes, scabs, and dry feathers or through mosquitoes and biting insects.
This disease affects mainly poultry, especially when there is a high population density of free-range chickens or turkeys, for example. Chicken anemia can make birds more susceptible to the disease.
Symptoms
- Weakness
- Drowsiness
- Lack of appetite
- Underweight.
- diarrhea
- runny nose
- shortness of breath
In addition, the disease has two stages:
- Cutaneous stage. The bird will present nodular lesions or scabs that eventually heal and leave scars. The lesions manifest as blisters or vesicles.
- Diphtheria stage. Lesions in the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tract with the appearance of necrotic tissue. In this stage, birds have difficulty feeding and breathing.
Infectious bronchitis
Causes
Infectious bronchitis is a respiratory disease caused by the avian coronavirus belonging to the genus Gammacoronavirus. Bronchitis is transmitted directly from sick birds to healthy birds, as virus replication occurs in the respiratory and digestive tracts.
In some severe cases, bronchitis can affect the kidneys and the female’s reproductive organs such as the ovaries.
This disease usually affects poultry such as chickens.
Symptoms
- Difficulty breathing.
- Coughing
- Rales (rattling in the lungs).
- Coryza (facial swelling)
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Lethargy
- Runny nose
- Conjunctivitis
Bursitis
Causes
Bursitis is a disease caused by Birnavirus and affects mainly the immune system of young birds, mainly the bursa of Fabricius; a place where blood cells originate. The immune-suppressed bird transmits the virus directly to other birds. The virus is very resistant to the environment and therefore persists in poultry houses, contaminating feed and water.
Chickens are the only animals that can develop this disease when infected with the virus.
Symptoms
- Weakness (immunosuppression).
- Respiratory noise.
- Ruffled feathers.
- Diarrhea.
- Tremors.
Bacterial diseases in birds
Bacteria are microorganisms with a simple structure that are part of the superkingdom of prokaryotes or unicellular beings with no defined nucleus, that is, with genetic material spread inside the cell). These organisms are the main infectious agents in nature, together with viruses, affecting living beings such as birds.
Infections of bacterial origin can cause dangerous diseases that, if not attended to in time, can lead a bird to death. These include:
Psittacosis
Causes
Psittacosis or ornithosis is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci due mainly to extreme lack of hygiene. It’s commonly called “parrot fever” and is one of the most common and serious diseases in birds, very similar to a cold. This disease is spread by direct contact with infected birds, feathers, and mucous membranes.
If you have a pet belonging to a species of the order psittaciforme you must be very careful because it affects these birds mainly. The species that are mainly affected by this disease are:
- Parrots.
- Parakeets.
- Cockatiels.
Symptoms
- Inappetence.
- Diarrhea.
- Loss of feathers.
- Nasal discharge.
- Joint cramps.
- Difficulty in breathing.
Salmonellosis
Causes
Salmonellosis is a disease caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella (more than 250 types) and is caused by a lack of cleanliness through contaminated food and fecal matter mainly. In some cases, the infection is also transmitted from mother to chick through contamination of the eggshell. The infection is transmitted through feces via oral, cloacal, tracheal, nasal, ocular, and aerosol.
It affects especially poultry, but also species such as cockatiels and canaries.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of salmonella bacteria infection in your bird are:
- Anorexia.
- Diarrhea.
- Dehydration.
- Lack of appetite.
- Low egg production (in laying birds).
Avian cholera
Causes
Avian cholera attacks many species of birds and is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, which can lead to the sudden death of your bird even though it seems healthy. Because it is an infectious disease, it is transmitted through contact with sick birds through the respiratory tract, eyes, skin wounds, and feces.
The bacterium proliferates in unhygienic places. Therefore, to prevent the disease and avoid its spread, it is necessary to thoroughly clean cages or pens and outdoor areas where birds interact.
The disease affects several species of birds, including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and canaries.
Symptoms
- Excessive thirst and hunger
- Fever.
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- respiratory problems
- Mucus.
- hemorrhages
- Inflammation of the caruncles (ridge).
- Tissue necrosis (tissue death).
- Arthritis.
Colibacillosis
Causes
Colibacillosis is an infectious disease caused by Escherichia coli and causes systemic or localized disease in different organs. This bacterium is regularly found in the intestinal flora without causing major damage.
However, in its pathogenic (malignant) form, it can affect immunosuppressed birds. This is why the disease often goes unnoticed until it gets more complicated.
Take into account that the presence of this bacterium in the digestive system, skin, and feathers of birds favors its rapid spread through feces, contaminated food and wounds.
Colibacillosis can affect poultry and caged domestic fowl alike.
Symptoms
- Fever.
- Anorexia.
- Feather ruffling.
- difficulty breathing
- Bloody diarrhea.
- Stops singing (songbirds).
Avian coryza
Causes
Avian coryza is a respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragallinarum. This bacterium doesn’t remain long in the environment, so the transmission of the disease is mainly through contact with sick birds. Be especially careful with asymptomatic birds, all birds that are cured from chronic phases and show no symptoms.
Coryza affects mostly chickens and has also been reported in birds belonging to the psittacine family or commonly called parrots.
This disease has low mortality rates as long as it has no complications with other infectious agents such as Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Escherichia coli.
Symptoms
- Severe facial edema (swelling around the eyes).
- Conjunctivitis (eye infection).
- Runny nose.
- Swollen crests and chins.
- Coughing and sneezing.
- Diarrhea.
Fungal diseases in birds
They are caused by fungi, living beings of the Fungi kingdom. Birds acquire many of these diseases as a result of lack of hygiene, poor ventilation or consumption of spoiled food.
Aspergillosis
Causes
Aspergillosis is an acute or chronic respiratory disease caused by the fungus Aspergillus, a type of mold present outdoors and indoors, in bird feces and waste. The fungus can be spread through the respiratory tract or through feces in poor hygiene conditions.
Symptoms
- Whistling when breathing.
- Coughing.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Fever
- Disorientation
Mycotoxicosis
Causes
Mycotoxicosis is a disease caused by mycotoxins or toxic metabolites of fungal origin (fungi and yeasts). These toxins are generated by fungi that colonize the grains (corn, wheat, oats, barley, etc) of poultry, causing problems in the kidneys, liver, skin, and mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tract.
The most common mycotoxins are:
- Aflatoxins. The toxins generated by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus when contaminating corn or cotton crops.
- Trichothecenes. Mycotoxins produced by several species of toxigenic fungi such as Stachybotrys atra, Myrothecium roridum, and Myrothecium verrucaria.
- Ochratoxin. A neurotoxic (affects the nervous system), immunosuppressive (lowers defenses), and carcinogenic (causes cancer) toxin that contaminates food for human consumption, mainly cereals and derivatives, produced by fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium.
Symptoms
- Lack of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Delayed growth.
- Immunosuppression.
- Poor feathering.
- Diarrhea.
Moniliasis
Causes
Moniliasis or crop mycosis is a fungal disease caused by the fungus Candida and is transmitted by the ingestion of food and water in dirty containers (candidiasis). Birds are not directly infected.
Symptoms
The disease has no specific symptoms. However, some of the signs that can help you detect if your bird has been infected are:
- Restlessness.
- Pallor (look at the skin).
- Untidy plumage.
- Anemia.
- Swelling in the crop.
- Inflammation of the cloaca.
Parasitic diseases in birds
Parasites include all beings that require a host organism to live. Some are free-living and parasitized, while others are full-time parasites and cannot complete their life cycle without another organism.
Birds, apart from being affected by viruses and bacteria, can also be infected by internal and external parasites, including protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.
Diseases caused by internal parasites
The diseases caused by internal parasites usually affect the digestive system. Some of the most common are the following:
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis is a disease caused by the protozoan coccidia of the genus Eimeria and affects the digestive system, causing bloody diarrhea, anemia, restlessness, lack of appetite, dehydration, and tissue damage.
Coccidiosis is transmitted by direct and indirect contact with infected poultry droppings.
This disease affects poultry, mainly growing chickens and young adults.
Ascaridiosis
Ascaridiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the helminth of the genus Ascaridia, commonly called roundworms (nematodes). This parasite is transmitted orally when eggs are deposited in food and water. It can also be found in the oviduct of females.
Infected birds may present anemia, anorexia, weight loss, weakness, intense thirst, dull plumage, lack of appetite and diarrhea with the presence of worms in their droppings.
Ascaridiosis mainly affects poultry such as chickens and turkeys, especially young birds.
Taeniasis
Taeniasis is a disease caused by tapeworms or just “worms”. The primary route of transmission is food and they spread in unhygienic environments. Tapeworms use insects and worms as “vehicles” to reach the birds’ intestines.
Birds affected by taeniasis show symptoms such as despondency, lack of appetite, thinning, embolism (a method to combat the drop in body temperature) and difficulty in excreting.
These parasites can affect all bird species, especially insectivorous (insect-eating) species, which are more prone to disease than granivorous (grain-eating) species.
Diseases caused by external parasites
Acariasis
Acariasis is a very common disease among domestic birds given that they live with mites every day without even noticing it, only until they are infested by them due to poor hygiene.
Mites are parasites present on the skin and between the feathers and can be harmful to your bird when it doesn’t bathe and the owner doesn’t clean its cage.
Fleas are another very common ectoparasite that can affect your bird’s skin and feathers. Diseases caused by flea infestation have the same cause as acariasis.
Other diseases in birds
Birds can be affected by other agents or causes other than viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, among them:
Cold
The cold, I would dare to say, is the most common disease in domestic birds because simple neglect of the owner or a “malicious” draft can provoke a respiratory affectation like this, causing the following symptoms:
- Respiratory distress.
- Chills.
- Fever.
- Nasal secretions.
- Weakness.
False molt
In general, birds molt their feathers more times than normal in order to maintain their temperature. But, they can have a false molt due to the alteration of the natural cycle, which generates great physical fatigue that leaves them very weak and affects their behavior. This is due to a sudden change of habitat and climate.
This is a very common disease in domestic birds that lose the ability to know when to molt.
Follicular cysts
Follicular cysts are a condition that manifests itself mainly by bumps under the wings, sometimes appearing on other parts of the body. This happens because the new feathers retract and don’t come out.
The most prone species to suffer from this disease are birds with the densest plumage such as parrots and canaries.
Vitamin deficiency
Vitamin deficiency is a disease that consists of a lack of essential vitamins for birds. Supplying vitamins in their diet is very important in domestic birds, mainly because they live in captivity and depend entirely on the food provided by their owner.
When your bird lacks vitamins A, B, B1, and E; it will show the following symptoms: feather loss, weakness, muscular dystrophy, eye inflammation, paralysis, and encephalomalacia. The latter causes imbalance and constant falls.
Stress
Stress mainly affects domestic birds, those kept in captivity. It’s mainly the confinement and poor conditions of the environment that can cause extreme restlessness, making them very nervous.
You must pay attention if your bird suffers from stress because it can lead to the development of other diseases.
How can I control diseases in birds?
You are probably wondering how to prevent and cure diseases in your pet birds.
This is a very good question and I am going to answer it next. But first, you should know that diseases affecting your pet are something you’ll have to live with. To maintain the good health of your friend you must take into account three things:
1. Hygiene
Maintain good hygiene in the bird’s cage and environment, as well as frequent bathing or supervising the bird to bathe itself. Hygiene is the basis of your pet’s health. Simple!
2. Vaccinations
Vaccinations are the best form of prevention against diseases that can affect your bird even if you maintain good hygiene. Vaccinations prevent both viral and bacterial diseases.
3. Medications
Medications are also a way to counteract diseases, although their function is not preventive, but rather they serve to recover or relieve your pets when they have already contracted a disease. Always visit your veterinarian to medicate your friend.
More information about vaccines and medications.
We have reached the end of this opportunity, I hope the information has been useful and you can offer your bird the best care after recognizing the main diseases that affect birds.
