Streptococcosis
A frequent illness in racing pigeons
Since the 90ties there is a new described disease in racing
birds namely streptococcosis. In Belgium this illness is quite
frequent especially in the racing season and beginning of
moulting. It is caused by an intracellular bacteria
Streptococcus gallolyticus and is next to paratyphoid and
chlamydiosis one of the most frequent bacterial illnesses in
racing pigeons. The disease often gets confused with
paratyphoid with a wrong treatment as consequence. It is often
a cause of sudden bad performances and losses of good racing
birds. Because of bad diagnosis and wrong treatment it can
cause a lot of damage in the birds and in the colony as a
whole. However, if diagnosed correctly a good treatment is
quite effective and gets the problems aside swiftly. Even a
week after treatment birds are capable of performing
outstanding. On the other hand when sick birds are not treated
they can be lost at least for racing.
The bacteria Streptococcus gallolyticus can be present in
normal pigeons in the intestines without causing illness.
Symptoms occur only when the bacteria gets passed the
intestinal-blood barrier. In other words when the bacteria
gets into the bloodstream more or less severe illness can
occur. Typical is sudden death of a bird that seemed
completely healthy and in perfect condition a few hours
before. This is because this bacteria can, once in the
bloodstream, cause very severe inflammation in internal organs
and muscles. After experimental intravenous infection of
completely healthy pigeons all birds died a couple of hours
after inoculation. Even antibiotics just after the infection
could not prevent the birds from dying.
In lighter infections the most common symptoms are trouble
with flying (because inflammation of muscles and tendons),
general sickness, slimy droppings, less appetite. Sometimes
the only symptom is dying of one or a few birds while all the
others seem completely healthy.
It is not well known yet which factors are causing the
bacteria to get into the bloodstream. On the one hand a high
infection rate in the environment is important. On the other
hand factors as stress, intestinal inflammation, etc… assist
in the breakthrough of the disease. Stress seems to be a very
important factor. It is not exceptional that the best the
birds get ill easier as the best birds frequently are also the
most susceptible for stress (they are more motivated to get
home as soon as possible). However, streptococcosis still
seems to have an epidemiological pattern meaning a lot of
birds can show symptoms at the same time. This shows that the
infection rate and probably the virulence (meaning the
capability of the bacteria to cause illness) of specific
bacteria strains are still important. That is why it is
advisable to still treat all the birds, even though only some
have symptoms.
The exact diagnosis can only be made by autopsy by
isolating the bacteria from the inflammated organs or muscles.
Still a probability diagnosis can be made by the specific
symptoms, especially a couple of birds that seem to have
trouble flying. Often after two days of treatment all symptoms
will be gone. Still it is advisable to respect the duration of
the treatment.
The treatment consists of individual or general oral
supplementation of amoxicillin or ampicillin during 10 days.
The best way is to give on the food as much of the products on
the market are only active for 30 minutes in the drinking
water. Some like Amoxicure work for 24 hours in the drinking
water.
Allthough there is no scientific evidence for this, I
suspect from my vet practice experience that colonies with
paratyphoid problem easier get confronted with
streptococcosis. This could be because more intestinal damage
by the salmonella (paratyphoid) and so easier leaking of
bacteria into the bloodstream.
Streptococcosis often occurs during racing season and can
be a cause for bad racing performances, also losing good birds
on races under normal flight circumstances. This is because
those birds are having a lot of pain in the inflammated
tendons and muscles. Sometimes even complete muscles can
degenerate by the heavy inflammation. If there is no treatment
those pigeons often can not race anymore and can only be of
some use on the stock loft. If the birds get treated fast
enough after occurring of the symptoms those birds can surely
still be very good flyers.
Ruben Lanckriet
Veterinary surgeon
Racing fancier long distance
