Be warned of this cold season disease that targets young chicks

Young broiler chickens at the poultry farm [iStockphoto]

Aspergillosis is a disease of all animals including human beings. In farmed chickens, it is a respiratory infection caused by a type of mould called Aspergillus fumigatus, in fact it is caused by spores produced by this organism and spread in the vicinity of young chicks soon after hatch or during hatching. It is primarily a disease of young juvenile birds and presents signs like difficulty in breathing, chicks gasping for air, off-feed, weak and reluctant to move and even death.