Recent increase in outbreaks of fowlpox in the Netherlands

This year, GD has seen an unusual increase in the number of cases of chicken pox virus. In January and February, there were four cases. After several months with no new cases, fifteen cases were registered from September to November. In some outbreaks, a production decrease of up to 15 percent has been reported by veterinarians involved. Both the dry and wet forms of the disease have been identified. Chicken pox, also called smallpox diphtheria (PD), occurs in two forms: the dry form and the wet form. In the dry form, they see crusts and lesions around the eyes, beak and unfeathered skin. The wet form causes ulcers in the mouth, throat, trachea and lungs. The virus spreads through direct contact, body fluids, crusts, feed, drinking water and dust. Flies and mosquitoes can also transmit the virus by sucking blood from infected animals. Genetic analysis of cases from December 2023 and January 2024 shows that these isolates match recent European isolates and contain the complete ...