Are Fowl Pox and Pigeon Pox the same?

3264 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Grimaldy, Mar 19, 2009

MaryOfExeter

Discussion Starter · Mar 18, 2009

I know both Pigeon Pox and Fowl Pox are both different strains of avipoxvirus. But what I meant by my question is, are the symptoms and treatments the same? Is there any real big difference between the two?

I'm doing a project in Animal Science about Avian Pox, mostly revolving around poultry. I know enough to fill up the whole thing with stuff on Pigeon Pox, but I'm not sure if all of this applies to the kind chickens get as well.

Are chickens as hardy against the virus as pigeons are? Usually pigeons can handle pox unless it's really severe or internal. I've seen pictures of some very severe cases in wild birds too, but I've never really heard much about pox in chickens.

My topic just said 'Avian Pox'. But I know the class is all about livestock and poultry, so I'm guessing I should base the project on the Fowl strain.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

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John_D

· #2 · Mar 18, 2009

Hi Becky

A brief Google and a look at four sites seems to indicate that Fowl and Pigeon (and Canary) pox have about the same symptoms even though they be different strains of avian pox.It also appears that they can transmit to various other bird species. I don't know how reliable it is, but there's a bit on Wikipedia about innoculating fowl with the pigeon strain as a preventative ("Chicken are usually vaccinated with pigeonpox virus. Turkeys are also routinely vaccinated").

To my non-veterinary trained eye, the forms in the virus presents look the same in whatever species.

http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/Fowl-Pox.htm

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26362--,00.html

John

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MaryOfExeter

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 18, 2009

Thank you! That's just what I needed to know. Out of all the sites I looked at, I didn't see that first one you posted. It actually had a few extra things that weren't on the others (which all sounded the same

). Thanks again

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Grimaldy

· #4 · Mar 19, 2009

Take a look at the classification of virus as well.

There are currently two systems in use, the ICTV and the Baltimore. They both come down to the idea that viruses are grouped into Orders, Family, Genus, Species.
To speak of a strain however is to speak of a variation within species. For instance a dog is a subspecies of the gray wolf, but within that subspecies are several variations. Among virus, variation within a species is referred to as a strain, same basic "creature" but with differences.

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