List of five common diseases of duck:- 1. Duck Plague 2. Duck Cholera 3. Aflatoxicosis 4. Botulism 5. Parasitic Diseases.
Disease # 1. Duck Plague:
Cause:
Serious outbreak of duck plagues, also known as duck virus enteritis, can cause 80-90% mortality in flocks of all ages. It is a highly contagious disease and strikes swiftly without warning.
Symptoms:
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Birds become restless with drooping wings and ruffled feather. Their eyes become swollen and moist with sticky discharge. They stop feeding, drink water frequently and feel difficulty in breathing. Sometimes watery yellow diarrahoea with blood is seen. Occasionally penis is swollen and protruding. In laying females, haemorrhages can be observed in the deformed and discoloured ovarian follicles.
Prevention and Control:
The birds can be protected by duck plague vaccine, available in the country, given at the age of 8 weeks. The affected ducks should be isolated and killed, if necessary.
Disease # 2. Duck Cholera:
Cause:
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Highly infectious disease caused by bacteria, Pasteurella multocida, in ducks over 4 weeks age.
Symptoms:
Birds lose appetite and their body temperature becomes high. Initial diarrhoea is followed by mucoid droppings.
Prevention and Control:
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Birds must be vaccinated first at the age of 4 weeks and again at 16 weeks age with duck cholera vaccine. Sulphonamides and antibiotics are effective in controlling the disease and reducing mortality. The dead birds should be burnt.
Disease # 3. Aflatoxicosis:
Cause:
Ducks are very susceptible to aflatoxin content of the feed. The minimum toxic dose for ducks is 0.03 mg per kilo of feed. Ducklings are more susceptible. Aflatoxin is produced by the mould, Aspergillus flavus, in the feedstuffs such as groundnut, maize, rice polish, etc.
Symptoms:
Birds first show poor feed intake, poor growth, falling of feathers, lethargy, unthriftliness and lameness. At later stages, birds encounter liver lesions, ataxia followed by convulsion and death.
Prevention and Control:
Avoid feeding mouldy feeds. Feeds should be checked for aflatoxin, particularly during and after rainy season.
Disease # 4. Botulism:
Cause:
The disease occurs both in young and adult stocks. It is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which grows in decaying plant and animal materials.
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Symptoms:
Birds lose control of their neck muscle and usually drown during swimming in water. Birds show dullness, ruffled feathers, lameness, drooping wings, labour breathing, coma and death.
Prevention and control:
The affected birds can be given C-type antitoxin. Maintenance of cleanliness including removal of rotting vegetation and dead birds can prevent the disease.
Disease # 5. Parasitic Diseases:
(i) Internal Parasites:
Ducks are resistant to internal parasites. These are more when ducks are kept in a range or when they have access to ponds. The parasites comprises of flukes, tapeworms and roundworms. There are suitable medicines available in the market which can kill or expel these from the body. Periodical examination of faecal material is very useful to identify and to treat ducks.
(ii) External Parasites:
External parasites are comparatively less in ducks as compared to chicken. They produce annoyance to them leading to reduction in egg yields. Some of these do transmit a few disease producing organisms. So, it is essential to keep them free from parasites.