Duck viral enteritis, or duck plague, is an acute, highly contagious disease of ducks, geese, swans, etc. The disease is a severe acute disease of ducks, geese and swans. It is characterised by disturbances of the vascular system with extensive haemorrhages on mucous membranes and seroses, blood spurting into the body cavity and damage to lymphatic and parenchymal organs.
Morbidity is high and most ducks die. In the early stages, ducks in good nutritional condition die suddenly. Ducks of all ages can be affected. Symptoms include extreme thirst, inappetence, stiff gait, watery diarrhoea, head tremors and, in ducks, penile prolapse.
The main economic losses are due to reduced egg production and mortality.
