1. Coli (Escherichia Coli)

There are certain bacteria that can cause disease in pigeons, but don't do this under all circumstances. We call these bacteria: facultatively pathogenic bacteria. You can in principle cause illness and sometimes even cause deaths, but this happens only if the circumstances make amends for the bacteria. Under these circumstances, the bacteria can multiply quickly. The E. coli bacterium is so a bacterium. However, we consider this bacterium in most cases as part of the normal intestinal flora in pigeons. This bacterium is often detected during screening of the faeces. There are no symptoms most of the time anyway. Still is recommended by some vets then to make this a spa. This, however, are question marks in their place.

Escherichia coli is a so-called gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. This family includes such as Proteus and Klebsiella bacteria, but also salmonella.

There are several strains of E. coli bacteria. You can see many of these tribes as Commensals in the intestine. So benign intestinal bacteria. In addition, there are strains of opportunistic the as I said as soon as they get their chance pathogenic can be. Finally, some tribes are primary pathogenic. This can cause diarrhea or infection of the internal organs.

It is not so that we immediately must think about the finding of E. coli in a pooled sample of pathogenic bacteria. Especially not when they detected a screening in the feces by pigeons who are not sick. In the case of diarrhea, where large numbers of E. coli be found bacteria per ml. feces is different. This can occur when young birds that are infected with the adenovirus in the spring. There are so many different strains of E. coli that trying a difference between these tribes in the microbiology and others to make use of so-called antigens properties of this coliforms. This can be implemented into practice as O, H and K antigens. For an E. coli, which occurs in chickens, the name can then be E. coli O1: K1: H7. So hundreds of strains can be distinguished.

Hereby we try to see the forest through the trees. For ante-natal examinations is not controlled mostly with which strains we have to do.

Both however same strains detected in sick as healthy animals. This means that pigeons under favorable circumstances for these bacteria can become ill. It is so important to try to avoid these circumstances.

Symptoms.

1. Coli pigeons can be the occasion for acute blood poisoning which animals can die very quickly. We often see this with small nest boy. Often, the breeder then thinks of a salmonella infection. There are however several bacteria that can cause this acute nest dying. Investigation is more then often not superfluous if you want to find the cause. Death in the egg can occur. Even then, the pathogen is often detectable if you examined the eggs closer.

Acute dying as a result of an E. coli can occur not only in nest boy sepsis. This can happen when pigeons in all age groups. Only acute dying is the case sometimes. In other cases, we see diarrhea and vomiting or leaner. However, it is difficult to interpret the right cause of the blood poisoning exclusively on the basis of the symptoms. Further bacteriological examination is also required. The bacterium should it then be detected in the internal organs. The autopsy picture can be also with several causes of blood poisoning.

Emphatically to be assigned once again that the diagnosis only on the basis of an examination of feces is totally futile. Because in the feces of healthy pigeons the COLI bacterium is also present. The bacterium to be assigned to in the organs so for reliable Diagnostics.

Stressfaktore often play a role in the presence of cases a coli sepsis.

Due to the stress decreases the level of the pigeons, thereby increasing the chances of facultatively pathogenic bacteria.

These stress factors we can include overpopulation. But also the breeding period is a moment by itself can increase the infection pressure. During an outbreak of large nest dying during the breeding period, we prefer to to have the agent by means of isolation of the germ. We leave the isolation followed by performing an anti-biogramms. These slices are placed on a so-called Petri dish with a small amount of antibiotics a smear of the isolated bacteria. In this way, we can then determine the most effective antibiotic. The experience teaches that many of E. coli strains are insensitive to many of the antibiotics used.

That administer the right remedy is also very important. In these cases of extensive nest dying, a plan is desired repetition of dying in the following rounds of breeding earlier to stay.

Part of this plan is to try to lower the infection pressure of E. coli. Experience through the years teaches that acidification of drinking water this can be very effective. But also the administration of probiotics to increase the competition in the intestine between the bacteria and to try to restore the balance in the gut can contribute it.

This approach also helps when several pigeons at a different age die suddenly. When the pigeons come massal in the problems it is necessary a general therapy with antibiotics to use. If it concerns only a few pigeons we see often even more success with individual treatment of affected birds, complemented with the Versauerungstherapie of drinking water in combination with the administration of probiotics. In both cases, the goal is lowering pressure of E. coli which is often a result of imbalance in the intestinal infection.

The advantage of the approach of acidification and probiotics may be that we immediately begin working on the restoration of the Gleichgwichts of the intestinal flora, while if we give antibiotics first and the rest of the intestinal flora under pressure.

Which approach is the best, but again, is from case to case, different and depending on the circumstances. There are arguments for both methods of handling and against. Personally, I prefer the more natural method for this disease because of the resistance problem, which plays a role in E. coli.

A specific problem with this E. coli problems happening at the grow up the youngsters, if these victims of the adenovirus. Just these pigeons are then susceptible to this E. coli problems. But what concerns us remains the same here how. Usually you will if you have 100 young animals which we say suddenly 30 diarrhea received and vomiting immediately to a medicine box want access to make a cure as soon as possible. Reasonable in this case. Because in a great fire you must take drastic measures. Acidification of the drinking water and probiotics are then maybe can help to solve the problem faster, but the infection pressure is so high that the administering of antibiotics is necessary. What we in the last about 25 years also could determine this is if you supported the defense of the young pigeons and drinking water regularly goes stale it during an outbreak of this disease in 100 pigeons not 30, but perhaps only 4-5 problems get. Through this then quickly isolate and individually treat, it seems in practice to be often a cure must be not all pigeons. The pigeons can be treated as individual one to better follow. I recommend then also to the ring number of the pigeons on to write, because these pigeons are imparted at a later date as the first. The pigeons that are so strong they actually no antibiotics need not get also, making their intestinal flora is not unnecessarily charged. The pigeons need antibiotics to survive them then and can better be kept in mind. Net result is less use of antibiotics, and at the same time an increase in the selection options because the weaker brothers can be removed sooner. In the long term the population this will be better.

In focus; E. coli is a bacterium that can provide large problems with pigeons. At the same time it is one of the bacteria that means good stroke management and natural processes in the bridle can be held. Preventive health care is in this case the pigeons in the long term more than a that have become necessary curative approach with antibiotics.

Best of luck,

Peter Boskamp