Poultry diagnostic laboratories are located throughout Florida to assist in the diagnosis of poultry diseases (see A Guide to Commercial Poultry Production in Florida). A brief description of the more common diseases is provided to familiarize county Extension personnel with these diseases.

Cause: Stress factors, mycoplasma gallisepticum, and bacteria. Egg transmitted.
Symptoms: Mild respiratory distress, sniffing, sneezing. Cloudy air sacs. Lesion in trachea, bronchi.
Treatment: Tylosin phosphate and high levels of certain other antibiotics in feed or water.
Prevention: Buy Mycoplasma gallisepticum free hatching eggs or chicks and prevent contact with infected chickens.

Cause: Unknown.
Symptoms: Occurs after layers reach peak production. Mortality is high. Massive fat deposits are found among intestines, gizzard, and kidneys, and the liver shows extreme infiltration of fat. Hemorrhages beneath the liver capsule or in body cavity.
Treatment: Treatment with high levels of vitamins has been used with varying success.
Prevention: Since cause is unknown there is no known prevention except good management and eliminate stresses.

* From Diseases of Poultry, a paper by Dr. Gary D. Butcher, DVM, PhD., Poultry Veterinarian, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville. From publication PS-5, Florida Cooperative Extension Service. .