Linking to these sites is an effort to make as much accurate information and resources available to users as possible. We have reviewed all sites before adding them to this list. However, we do not endorse all the information and content of these sites.

• Avian Influenza Information page

• Avian Influenza Avian influenza is caused by type A influenza virus. The symptoms can vary from a mild disease with little or no mortality to a highly fatal, rapidly spreading epidemic (highly pathogenic avian influenza) depending on the infecting virus strain, host factors, and environmental stressors. By: Carol J. Cardona, Extension Poultry Veterinarian, University of California, Davis.

• Avian Influenza Virus Program at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Want to know more about AI? Check the information and publications at the site.

• APHIS "Biosecurity for the Birds" A national campaign to promote avian health through biosecurity. Very good biosecurity site.

• Avian Influenza Prevention in Gamebird and Ratite Facilities (requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) By: Dr. Scott Beyer, Extension Poultry Specialist, Kansas State University.

• Biosecurity and Diseases of poultry and other livestock. Developed by Penn State

• Biosecurity The Key to Keeping Your Livestock and Poultry Healthy Well done tri-fold Biosecurity publication from the University of Maryland.

• Biosecurity for Poultry Flocks Biosecurity is a practice designed to prevent the spread of disease onto your farm. It is accomplished by maintaining the facility in such a way that there is minimal traffic of biological organisms (viruses, bacteria, rodents, etc.) across its borders. Biosecurity is the cheapest, most effective means of disease control available. No disease prevention program will work without it. Joan S. Jeffrey Extension Poultry Veterinarian University of California.

• Biosecurity and Disease Prevention for the Ratite Grower This Nebraska Guide acquaints the ratite grower with management techniques that can help reduce the likelihood of disease introduction and spread on the farm. By: Dr. Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension and Diagnostic Avian Veterinarian.

• Biosecurity for Exotic Fowl by: Dr. Joan S. Jeffrey Extension Veterinarian Texas Agricultural Extension Service The Texas A&M University System.

• Biosecurity of Poultry Facilities by: J. Fred Prochaska, John B. Carey, and Joan S. Jeffrey Texas Agricultural Extension Service The Texas A&M University System.

• The Merck Veterinary Manual, Eighth Edition, VERY GOOD RESOURCE. This interactive manual addresses the medical issues of companion, food, and zoo animals. This book includes discussions of etiology, transmission and pathogenesis, clinical findings and lesions, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of disease entities.

• Avian Disease Fact Sheet Fact Sheet discusses how diseases spread, basic diagnosis, signs of health and disease, parasites, and nutritional deficiencies. By: Phillip J. Clauer, Virginia Cooperative Extension.

• Common Poultry Diseases in Small Farm Flocks (requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) Nice fact sheet for small scale diagnoses and treatment. By: Stanley L. Vanhooser, DVM, Oklahoma State University.

• Guide to Poultry Anatomy and Diseases Contains excellent photos and disease information. By: Maine Biological Lab

• Poultry Disease The diseases included here are only the more commonly encountered diseases of poultry, game birds and waterfowl. The discussion of each disease includes a summary of causative agents, symptoms, lesions and treatments. By: Dr. Tom Smith, Mississippi State University.

• Poultry Disease Diagnosis This publication outlines a plan for examining sick birds. Become familiar with the normal appearance of birds and their organs by following the procedure outlined in this publication on one or more healthy birds. Examining a healthy bird can help you learn what to look for in sick birds. By: Dr. Tom Smith, Mississippi State University.

• Poultry Med.com Web site with good graphics by disease specialist Dr. Nati Elkin from the Israel.

• Respiratory Infections In Domestic Poultry Flocks This Nebraska Guide discusses the most common respiratory infections in poultry, and includes steps to diagnose, prevent, and treat each. By: Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension Veterinarian and Dale Webb, Veterinary Science.

• Vaccination Guide for the Small Poultry Flock This Nebraska Guide will help the small flock owner decide whether vaccinations might help prevent disease in the flock. Types of vaccines and methods of application are also discussed. By: Dr. Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension and Diagnostic Poultry Veterinarian.

• Antibiotic Use in Animals This NebGuide provides general guidelines about some of the problems that can occur when using antibiotics in treating animals. By: Duane N. Rice, DVM, Extension Veterinarian and E. Denis Erickson, DVM, Veterinary Microbiologist, University of Nebraska .

• Psittacosis (chlamydia Psittaci Infections) in Pet Birds Psittacosis is a complex disease that affects many species of wild birds, and occasionally, humans that are in close contact with birds. Despite the treatment of all quarantined birds for psittacosis infections, the disease continues to be widespread in pet bird populations in the United States. By: Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension Veterinarian.

• General Characteristics of Disinfectants Helpful Publication. By: Dr. Tom Smith, Mississippi State University.

• Sanitation-Disinfection Basics Disinfecting refers to the reduction of pathogens (disease causing organisms), while sanitation refers to the quality of cleanliness. Joan S. Jeffrey Extension Poultry Veterinarian University of California.

• Ascites Syndrome in Broiler Chickens This NebFact explains the number one cause of broiler death in home flocks and how to prevent it. By: Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension and Diagnostic Poultry Veterinarian
  

• Avian Influenza (AI)fact sheet from APHIS. Worldwide, there are many strains of avian influenza (AI) virus that can cause varying amounts of clinical illness in poultry. AI viruses can infect chickens turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese an guinea fowl, as well as a wide variety of other birds. Migratory waterfowl have proved to be the natural reservoir for this disease.

• Common Poultry Diseases List the most commonly encountered poultry diseases in alphabetical order. Less frequently observed diseases require consultation with a specialty disease manual. Click on the appropriate disease to see a discussion. By: Dr. Tom Smith, Mississippi State University.

• Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) fact sheet from APHIS. END is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds. END is probably one of the most infectious diseases of poultry in the world. END is so deadly that many birds die without showing any signs of disease. A death rate of almost 100 percent can occur in unvaccinated poultry flocks. Exotic Newcastle can infect and cause death even in vaccinated birds.

• Frequently Asked Questions About Birds and West Nile Virus Ohio State University Fact Sheet.

• Guide to Poultry Anatomy and Diseases Contains excellent photos and disease information. By: Maine Biological Lab

• Disease Alert: Multi-State Pullorum Outbreak in Non-Commercial Poultry By: Eva Wallner-Pendleton, DVM, MS, ACPV, Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University.

• Preventing Avian Pox By: Fred Price, Extension Poultry Pathologist, University of California, Davis

Turkey Disease Information

• Blackhead Disease in Turkeys Blackhead disease is a common and serious illness in turkeys that no available medication can treat. This Nebraska Guide discusses the organisms that cause the disease and prevention strategies. By: Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension and Diagnostic Poultry Veterinarian Sheila Scheideler, Extension Poultry Specialist.

• Use of Competitive Exclusion Products for Poultry By: Joan S. Jeffrey, DVM, MS, ACPV, Extension Poultry Specialist University of California, Cooperative Extension

• Guidelines For Risk Reduction of Microbial Introduction Into Poultry Flocks and Products (requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) General guidelines to reduce the risk of introduction of infectious microbes into chickens and table eggs. By: Douglas R. Kuney, Poultry Advisor, U.CA Cooperative Extension.

• Molting and Other Causes of Feather Loss in Small Poultry Flocks (requires Acrobat Reader 3.01) Small flock owners often become concerned that a few birds are experiencing excessive feather loss. This fact Sheet addresses these concerns. By: Dr. Scott Beyer, Extension Poultry Specialist, Kansas State University.

• Preventing Bacterial Contamination, Medication and Other Chemical Residues in Poultry Meat and Eggs Food safety issues such as drug and pesticide residues and bacterial contamination have received a lot of attention from the media lately. While this attention has focused predominantly on practices by the large commercial livestock and poultry industries, procedures to assure food safety and quality should be practiced by home flock producers as well. By: Dr. Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Extension Poultry Veterinarian; Dr. Norman R. Schneider, Veterinary Toxicologist; Dr. Susan Sumner, Extension Food Microbiologist at University of Nebraska.

• Preventing Mycosis and Mycotoxicosis By: Larry Vest, University of Georgia.

Poisonous Plants

• Cornell University Poisonous Plants Information Database a growing reference that includes plant images, pictures of affected animals and presentations concerning the botany, chemistry, toxicology, diagnosis and prevention of poisoning of animals by plants and other natural flora.

• University of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants Home Page Plants contain a large number of biologically active chemicals. Some of these have been found to be extremely useful for treating various human and animal diseases (e.g. digitoxin, colchicines and atropine). However, some plant constituents produce adverse health effects following exposure. The onset of these adverse effects can be quite sudden or take some time to develop. Fortunately, among the thousands of plants in the environment of animals, relatively few cause acute, life-threatening illnesses when ingested. This page helps you identify these plant.