ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENCES OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES OF TURKEYS IN THE GUINEA SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Five years retrospective study on the incidences of respiratory diseases of turkeys in Mubi, the Northern Guinea Savannah Zone of Nigeria was carried out. All the incidence of turkey respiratory diseases within the periods of the study was obtained from the records of zonal veterinary clinic Mubi of Adamawa state, Nigeria. The five-year retrospective study revealed a total number of 254 detected cases of respiratory diseases in turkeys reported to the zonal veterinary clinic, Mubi. Out of this number (254), 134 (52.8. %), 109 (42.9%), and 11(4.3%) were recorded for bacterial, viral and non-infectious diseases respectively. Fowl typhoid 79 (31.1%) was the most predominant disease of turkeys recorded during the study, while Marek’s disease 5 (2.0%) was the least respiratory disease of turkeys as revealed in the study. The incidence of respiratory diseases in turkeys is generally low as observed in this study but there is need for total eradications of these diseases for successful turkey production as this species provides the much needed low fat protein supplement to the ever increasing human population in Nigeria. This can be achieved through better enforcement of government disease control policies and measures with better management practices such as intensive system of management and routine vaccination of all turkeys against preventable respiratory diseases.