Fungi and yeasts
There are pathogens in pigeons that we should not trivialize on one hand, but which we should not overestimate the importance of it either. Fungi and yeasts are examples of this.
I read an article, a while back, written by an microbiologist who argued that all life on earth would be far eradicated, but the fungi and yeasts would still be there. They are essentially the salvage workers of nature. They are ubiquitous and trying to be everywhere they can be. A large number of yeasts and fungi plays a role in the food industry, but also in medicine, for example, think about the penicillin-producing fungi of the genus Ascomycetes. Fungi as Champions, Maitake, etc. are also counted among the fungi. The fungi fact constitute only a small part of the fungus.
It is the fruiting bodies of the fungus. The rest of the mold is in the form of fungal hyphae in the ground. The branch of science that deals with the fungi is called mycology. Fungi are therefore in all shapes and sizes. You will be surprised what happens when you display an open petri dish with a Sabouraud agar (this is a growth medium for fungi) in a clean room, which is normally heated, so that the mold spores that float in the air can go onto the dish. If you put that dish in an incubator set after that you will be surprised what you will see, a wide range of fungi will be growing on the dish. It goes without saying then producing a similar test result when one repeats this in a slightly wet and chilly loft. Now, very little of that is pathogenic fungi.
But nevertheless also these fungi’s will partly get into the pigeons. Among others in the crop. Pigeons can get pathogenic from fungi and yeasts. Candida albicans is one of them. There are more than 200 species of Candida. But only the Candida albicans is associated with disease in humans and animals.
By an examination of the crop, but also of the manure, this yeast can also be found in pigeons. These pigeons do not immediately show since that they are sick. The yeast will simply wait until the moment when the conditions are favorable for further development. If it sees the chance it will take it.
In a healthy crop and intestinal environment other good intestinal bacteria will make it hard for these yeasts. As long as this balance remains intact, there is not much going on. However, antibiotics disrupt this balance. The good intestinal bacteria that also killed at a spa can be a strong increase of the Candida will also stop less. This is also the reason that, after an antibiotic gift sometimes infections with Candida albicans, and other fungi and yeasts can start to occur. These infections can be quite persistent. The resistance of the pigeon is indeed undermined by the disease which led to giving antibiotics.
This resistance is further undermined by the partial destruction of the good flora in the crop and in the gut. The infection with the yeast resistance will do no good. Now, this yeast Candida albicans is also once again the potential to form a so-called mycelium. This is a network of hyphae. These hyphae may at a greatly reduced resistance engulf the entire body. It goes without saying that patients who fall prey to this, it will be hard to hold their head up against this situation. By eye they still look like normal pigeons. But in terms of performance, they will not be able to perform well very quickly. These pigeons will have difficulties to get in shape. The reason is simple. In his effort to get in charge over this fungi the immune organ requires extra energy to be able to do his work. Energy that flows to the defense of the fungi cannot also be used to get in shape.
There are also fungi’s that produce toxins that can be harmful to the liver. That in itself is already form-locking. One of the symptoms that can occur in fungal infections is fatigue. This is difficult to measure in pigeons. But is reflected in reduced training lust and poor flight performance. The circle is therefore quickly round again. After all the pigeons will be an easy target to get another infection in the baskets. The coil is deployed downward. Because one doesn’t directly think about an mold component, but one particularly puts their attention to the phenomena for example airway problems that occur after the flights and will soon decide to give a new medicine treatment for these problems. Not realizing that the problem will gradually be increased. Occasionally there is an (often young) dove with herds in the mouth. However, this can sometimes also occur as a Herpesvirus Infections and a strong yellow infections. When the pigeons have herds in their mouths, one must first exclude these causes. Candida can also occur in healthy pigeons. With Candida infection one can take large amounts of Candida grow from the crop. Through cytological examination of a smear of the crop for severe infections you can show these yeasts.
The overuse of antibiotics may also lead to the emergence of intestinal candidiasis. These birds often have a lousy resistance by the violent disruption of the intestinal flora. This can lead to the emergence of other infections. The lover will try to combat this often with antibiotics, with all adverse consequences. It takes time to escape from this vicious circle. Time that people often do not have or want to take during the racing season.
Treatment
If a severe Candida albicans infection is established in pigeons, one should realize that it often acts to a secondary condition. In these cases it is necessary to look for the primary cause. As mentioned overuse of antibiotics can give the growth and development of these yeasts a free rein. This should be a wake up call for those enthusiast who are facing this, that one is not handling this the right way. Often this happens to pigeons which seek (in season) airway problems that have to be cured with repeated courses of antibiotics, without paying sufficient attention to the support of the body's defenses of the pigeons.
The need for these cures is often located in the ventilation in the lofts. Poor ventilation ensures the repeated occurrence of respiratory problems. The cause does not have to be located in the entirety for infections of the respiratory tract. Of course the poor ventilation in cages rather lead to respiratory infections in pigeons will, but that need not be a rule. For these enthusiasts, who regularly give airway cures it t is almost necessary 'to continue to do it. "However, it is precisely this excess and inefficient use of antibiotics which cleared the way for the development of this type of yeast infections. The way down is thus applied.
Often it is sufficient to support the resistance of the birds in order to reduce the yeast infections. Old resources as Lugol or other iodine-containing preparations may be able to prove their services. There are also disinfectants that have proven their usefulness in crop infections.
There are also fungicides. The so-called, Antifungals. Nystatin is one of those. Although this product works well, my preference goes out to not use this without having any idea how to use it, as I sometimes see happen in practice. Indeed, there are not too many antifungal agents. By the excessive use of these resources for infections in other ways are still easy to cure, we run the risk that we will have to also create a product, in the near future, with an increasing resistance to these agents.
An undesirable situation.
Practice shows that iodine-containing herbal drinks, which often also support the resistance as effective as several antifungals. After antifungal agents take away the true fungi but often leave the primary cause of the problem untouched. The primary cause gives occasion for a reduction of the resistance causing that they fungal infection can arise.
In order to combat a yeast infection with medication, these must often be administered long before they are sufficiently effective. The application of Nystatin cures, as I see are applied in practice, are often short-lived and thus increasing the risk of development of resistance.
My advice, in view of the risk of resistance to this agent, is therefore to not use Nystatin when this without having any idea how to use it and while other options are still open.
Moral of the story
Yeast infections can cause problems, but on the average loft this is not so bad. Problems usually occur only during prolonged irresponsible for antibiotic use, wherein the resistance of the pigeons is undermined in the intestine. One has to deal with these problems. One should take the time to break this vicious circle by supporting the intestinal flora with prebiotics and probiotics. Also iodinated herbal drinks may be able to prove their services. The use of Nystatin should be minimized to lofts that have problem beyond help in any other ways. Attention to the underlying (crush) issues involved in the cases of excessive use of antibiotics as a cause of these Candida infections can be identified, it cannot be missed. Good disinfection of the loft should not be missed in the treatment of this problem.
Good Luck!
Peter Boskamp
