How You Can Treat Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens?

What is Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens:

Table of Contents

A viral infection of poultry birds, as well as wild birds, is common throughout the world. This problem is characterized as an acute respiratory disease. There are so many names of Newcastle Disease. All of these names are mentioned below:

Other Names: Avian Pneumoencephalitis, Ranikhet Disease, Avian Distemper, Exotic Or Velogenic Newcastle Disease, Avian plaque, Pseudo fowl pest.

Cause of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens:

Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens is caused by an avian paramyxovirus (APMV). This virus belongs to the genus Avulavirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. There are different strains of APMV.

These strains are classified into three groups on the basis of their virulence property.

Velogenic (Virulent)
Mesogenic (Moderately Virulent)
Lentogenic (Less Virulent)

For regulatory purposes, velogenic and mesogenic viruses are known as virulent NDV, the Cause of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens and lentogenic viruses are the low virulence NDV that is used in the manufacturing of the vaccines.

The most severe strain of the virus is called viscerotropic velogenic Newcastle disease (VVND). This strain is responsible for causing ‘Exotic Newcastle Disease‘.

How Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease is Transmitted between Chickens?

The virus sheds in the exhaled air, respiratory discharge, or in the feces of infected birds. The virus mostly sheds either during the incubation period or during a limited period of convalescence. The healthy birds get infected by aerosol transmission or by drinking contaminated water or feed. Contaminated equipment or litter are the main methods of virus spread between poultry flocks.

Incubation Period of NDV:

The incubation period is the duration between infection and the onset of the first clinical sign. In the case of Newcastle or Ranikhet disease, the incubation period is 2 to 6 days but can be up to 15 to 21 days. It all depends upon the strain of the virus. The majority of poultry flocks die within the first 72 hours after infection, without showing initial signs of ND.

Symptoms of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens:

Symptoms of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens vary and it depends upon, which system is mostly affected. Because some strains of virus attack the respiratory system, while others attack the digestive or nervous system. The most obvious clinical signs of ND are manifested as a result of central nervous system dysfunctions. These are:

Abnormal Head and Neck position, which leads to wry neck appearence.
Unsteady or incoordinated movement which is known as ataxia.
Unilateral or bilateral, partial or complete paralysis of legs and wings.

It doesn’t mean that the above-mentioned signs are always present in chickens and birds affected with Newcastle disease. Many affected birds may only show signs of general weakness and prostration. Diarrhea with hemorrhage is actually a classical clinical sign of the highly pathogenic (visceral, velogenic) ND in domestic chickens

Other Clinical Signs:

Diarrhea with blood
Circling
Head shaking
Loss of appetite
Gasping
Respiratory distress
Muscles spam
Convulsions
Abnormal change in eggs color
Soft shelled eggs

Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens — Twisting of head and neck

Postmortem Findings in Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease:

Lesions in postmortem findings are clearly visible in the case of viscerotropic velogenic Newcastle disease. Along with lesions, Petechia is also present on serous membranes. Hemorrhages of the proventricular mucosa and intestinal serosa are also one of the most obvious findings during necropsy.

Mucoid exudates in the respiratory tract with opacity and thickening of the air sacs are also another postmortem finding in Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens.

How to Diagnose the NewCastle Disease in Chickens:

Newcastle or Ranikhet disease cannot be diagnosed alone on the basis of just lesions and clinical signs. Because lesions can confuse with other viral infections of poultry birds like gumboro and avian influenza. So, in order to obtain a definite diagnosis of whether a chicken is infected with the NDV, one of the following three events needs to be confirmed via special laboratory tests:

Isolation and identification of NDV by reverse transcriptase PCR. Check how?
Nucleotide sequence analysis to detect genetic differences.

How to Treat Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens?

So, first of all, if your birds get infected with ND, then it is your responsibility to isolate those birds from a healthy flock and place them in a separate place with easy access to water and feed.

Immediately call your Veterinary doctor. The doctors mostly treat Newcastle (Ranikhet) disease in chickens or wild birds by giving the medicines to the infected birds. I will suggest you to read this article, where I mentioned all the treatment procotols on How you can treat ND outbreak in your poultry farm.

Prevention of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens:

The following protocols can be adopted to prevent Newcastle Disease:

Use of Vaccines
Maintain Strict Biosecurity
Regularly monitor the birds
Maint Diet and feed supplements

FAQs about Ranikhet Disease:

There are some questions that are frequently asked by people regarding Ranikhet disease in birds. I am going to answer all these questions here to avoid any confusion. If your question is not here then you can let me know in the comment section.

Is (Newcastle) Ranikhet a Zoonotic Disease?

The answer is yes. Some strains of NDV can cause transitory conjunctivitis in humans.

How can Ranikhet disease be prevented?

Ranikhet disease can be prevented by adopting proper preventive protocols like vaccination schedules, proper maintenance of biosecurity, and additive supplements.

Conclusion:

Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens is an infection of domestic poultry and other wild bird species. It is caused by an avian paramyxovirus (APMV). Symptoms of Newcastle (Ranikhet) Disease in Chickens vary and it depends upon, which system is mostly affected. There are various treatment options for ND.