FAVUS IN POULTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 55

FAVUS IN POULTRY.

Favus in poultry forms the subject of a leaflet issued by the Board of Agriculture. The disease is due to a. minute fungus which attacks the comb, wattles, and necks of fcude, and causes the feathers of the latter tj fall off: sometimes one vide only on the neck may be affected, becoming quite deplvmed, whilst the other shows no signb of invasion. As a rule, it is the comb that suffers first and most from the attack. The disorder is common to man, the cat, dog, and rabbit, and is particularly prevalent in rats and mice. It is rarely met with, however, in human beings in this country. It is very destructive in poultry yards, and, bcingly highly contagious, often spieads with great lapidity. A single diseased cock soon tciitaimnales the wrole run, and =everal outbreaks have been triced to a new male bird from an affected yard. Dare should ba taken in handling patients, as the disease eau be transmitted to man, in whom it is not so amenable to treatment as in birds. It is probable, libwever, that the disease can oaly be planted either naturally or artificially on an abraided surface. The treatment consists in bathing the invaded parts with warm water and soft soap, and then, ayplying some ointment to destroy the parasite. Nitrate of silver well rubbed into the comb and wattles has been found of great benefit ; an ointment of 5 per cent, of the nitrate of/ siher in lard may be used for this purpose. Bed oxide of .nercury one part, to lard eight parts, has proved an excellent remedy if used for several days. It i 6 most essential to well foment the diseased parts previously to applying the ointment, and to remove, as far as possible, all the favie crusts with a blunt knife. One cannot be too careful in examining a fresh bird before turning it into the run, which, needless to say, should not be done if any signs of favus "are noticed upon it. Should the disease appear, the bird should be at once isolated and treated, as when the parasite reaches the feathered tracts, it is so much more difficult to eradicate.