FieldDxFowlpoxClinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention in poultry.
Overview
A slow-spreading viral disease of poultry with a skin form (scabby lesions) and a wet/diphtheritic form (mouth/throat lesions). Fowlpox virus, an Avipoxvirus, transmitted by mosquitoes or direct contact with infected scabs. Zoonotic: this condition can pass to people.
Clinical signs
- Cutaneous form: nodular lesions progressing to thick scabs on unfeathered skin (chickens) or the head/upper neck (turkeys); sometimes limited to the feet and legs.
- Diphtheritic form: lesions in the upper GI and respiratory tract.
- Virulent strains can cause a systemic form with lesions in internal organs.
Predisposing factors
- Usually spreads through contact with skin abrasions.
- Scabs shed by recovering birds can cause aerosol exposure.
- Mosquitoes and other biting insects can carry it mechanically; spread through a susceptible flock is rapid when mosquitoes are plentiful.
- It persists on multiple-age poultry complexes because spread is slow and susceptible birds are always present.
Treatment
No specific effective treatment exists once birds are infected; disease control is achieved through vaccination to prevent infection and limit spread within a flock.
Prevention
Vaccination, timed to local requirements — it prevents disease and limits spread within an affected flock.
Source
MSD Veterinary Manual — Fowlpox in Chickens and Turkeys (accessed 2026-10-29)
MSD Veterinary Manual — Fowlpox in Chickens and Turkeys (accessed 2026-08-10)
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