Airsacculitis

Airsacculitis
Other namesAir sacculitis, aerosacculitis, air sac disease, air sac infection, air sac syndrome, sac disease
Airsacs as shown in common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): 1. cervical air sac, 2. clavicular air sac, 3. cranial thoracal air sac, 4. caudal thoracal air sac, 5. abdominal air sac (5' diverticels into pelvic girdle), 6. lung, 7. trachea
SpecialtyVeterinary medicine
SymptomsSwelling of the neck, difficult breathing, coughing, loss of appetite, loss of weight, watery eyes, nasal discharge, lethargy, ruffled feathers, clogged nares, stunted growth in juveniles, fewer eggs in hens
Usual onsetBetween 6 and 12 weeks of age
CausesBacterial, fungal or viral inflammatory disease
Differential diagnosisRhinitis, avian infectious bronchitis, gapeworm infection, chronic respiratory disease
TreatmentPharmacotherapy, symptomatic treatment
MedicationAntibiotics
FrequencyCommon

Airsacculitis,[1][2] also known as air sacculitis,[3] aerosacculitis,[4] air sac disease,[5] air sac infection, air sac syndrome and simply sac disease,[6] is a common inflammatory condition of air sacs that occurs in birds[5][7] and is caused by various microbial (mostly bacterial) taxa.[7] Having multiple different causative agents, the condition is widely distributed around the world.[6]

Since the disease is highly infectious it is especially dangerous for domesticated birds (poultry) bred on big farms.[5][6] Occurrence of airsacculitis in big flocks can mean high economic loss, as infected poultry needs to be carefully observed, with all of the infected tissue disposed of and not used for human food. In severe cases of the disease whole infected bird carcasses need to be disposed.[8]

Usually the disease affects younger birds, aged between 6 and 12 weeks.[6] The most characteristic sign of airsacculitis is an inflamed mucous membrane of bird air sacs,[9] which swells and becomes red,[8] with infected birds exhibiting different symptoms, such as coughing, lethargy, swelling of the neck, difficult breathing, appetite and weight loss etc.[6][9]

The same term is used for bacterial infection and subsequent inflammation of laryngeal air sacs in non-human primates.[3]

  1. ^ Bigland, C. H.; Dungan, William; Yamamoto, R.; Voris, J. C. (1964). "Airsacculitis in Poults from Different Strains of Turkeys". Avian Diseases. 8 (1): 85–92. doi:10.2307/1587824. ISSN 0005-2086. JSTOR 1587824.
  2. ^ Kleven, Stanley H.; King, Dyarl D.; Anderson, David P. (1972). "Airsacculitis in Broilers from Mycoplasma synoviae: Effect on Air-Sac Lesions of Vaccinating with Infectious Bronchitis and Newcastle Virus". Avian Diseases. 16 (4): 915–924. doi:10.2307/1588772. ISSN 0005-2086. JSTOR 1588772. PMID 5079882.
  3. ^ a b Cullin, Cassandra O.; Colgin, Lois M. A.; Lewis, Anne D. (2017). "Air sacculitis in three rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and one Japanese macaque (M. fuscata)". Journal of Medical Primatology. 46 (2): 48–50. doi:10.1111/jmp.12257. ISSN 1600-0684. PMC 5361575. PMID 28224653.
  4. ^ Larrat, Sylvain; Locke, Sean; Dallaire, André D.; Fitzgerald, Guy; Marcogliese, David J.; Lair, Stéphane (2012). "Fatal aerosacculitis and pneumonia associated with Eucoleus sp. (nematoda: capillaridae) in the lungs of a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)". Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 48 (3): 832–834. doi:10.7589/0090-3558-48.3.832. ISSN 1943-3700. PMID 22740560.
  5. ^ a b c "Definition of AIR-SAC DISEASE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e "All about Airsacculitis disease". My Pet Chicken. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  7. ^ a b LLC, AnimalDVM. "Airsacculitis in Chickens". PoultryDVM. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  8. ^ a b Compliance Guideline for Training Establishment Carcass Sorters in the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture (September 2014). Retrieved 19. September 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Airsacculitis". www.zoetisus.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2021-09-19.