Nothing is known about infectious diseases in wild swifts. However, in swifts in human care, certain clinical pictures occur with some regularity, which are described below. Not in all cases can observed symptom complexes be attributed to a specific disease. Diagnosis and therapy here is often still purely empirical.
Aspergillosis
Some bird species such as tropical parrots, mynahs, various birds of prey and waterfowl are extremely susceptible to respiratory tract infections with Aspergillus spp. High susceptibility to mould infection has also been observed in swifts. Particularly affected are immunosuppressed swifts and patients receiving antibiotic therapy. The Aspergillus infections documented so far in swifts were without exception peracute and not infrequently led to death by suffocation a few hours after the onset of first symptoms. In swifts, there seems to be a pronounced affinity of the fungal spores for the trachea and especially for the syrinx. An aspergilloma forming there can obstruct the trachea so dramatically within hours that no rescue is possible. Once symptoms such as squeaking, peeping dyspnoea and hectic mouth breathing occur, treatment is usually already too late. Attention must be paid to the smallest warning signs: frequent panting, breathing with open beak, increased respiratory rate without apparent reason, even the slightest respiratory sounds. Since the effective and fast-acting Itraconazole is well tolerated by swifts and has shown no side effects so far, treatment should be started immediately at the slightest suspicion of incipient aspergillosis.
Vitamin B Hypovitaminosis
For several years, a symptom complex has been occurring with increasing frequency in swifts in human care that suggests vitamin B hypovitaminosis. Initially relatively unspecific symptoms - anorexia, fixed stare, then compulsive head movements - escalate very rapidly to severe ataxia, torticollis and opisthotonus. Excitement and stress can trigger these symptoms in a swift with vitamin B deficiency within minutes. Untreated, the convulsions progress rapidly and ultimately lead to death. The younger the bird, the more dramatic the course. A 9-day-old nestling was dead half an hour after the onset of first symptoms.
In the early stage of vitamin B hypovitaminosis, subcutaneous administration of vitamin B complex is sufficient to make the symptoms subside within a very short time (approximately half an hour to an hour). In advanced convulsions, intramuscular injection is necessary. This deficiency can be prevented by regular prophylactic administration of vitamin B complex in the form of a subcutaneous infusion every 8-10 days. Oral administration, successful in swallows, is largely ineffective in swifts according to our own observations.
Gastrointestinal Infections
Unspecified gastrointestinal infections occur particularly in swifts that come into human care after long periods of starvation and are immediately given too much food. Within a very short time, moderate to severe general disturbance and mushy, foul-smelling diarrhoea occur. In mild cases, oral administration of Ampicillin ("Ampitab") over 2-3 days is successful. Ampicillin acts purely locally in the intestine, not systemically. Therefore, simultaneous prophylactic administration of an antifungal is not necessary in this case. Furthermore, a preparation supporting the physiological intestinal flora should be administered, e.g. "Bene-Bac". The initial feeding of a severely emaciated swift should always be done very carefully and conservatively, supported by infusions with roborants, not only to avoid gastrointestinal infections but also to prevent life-threatening gastric overload.
If there is an explosive proliferation of intestinal pathogenic germs, e.g. an E. coli infection, it may become necessary to administer a systemic antibiotic. Enrofloxacin ("Baytril") or Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid ("Augmentan") have proven effective in some cases. Therapy after cloacal swab and antibiogram is advisable.
Pododermatitis ("Bumble foot")
The footpad abscesses feared by falconers and also known in pet bird medicine (e.g. in budgerigars and cockatiels) occasionally occur in swifts in various forms. Two forms were mainly observed:
1) Particularly in malnourished young swifts, purulent swellings of one or both feet in the sole area as well as severe swelling of the toes occasionally occurred. When surgically opening the abscesses, large amounts of hard whitish crumbly pus could be evacuated. The mechanical pressure of the pus foci on the surrounding soft tissue and tendon tracts presumably leads to a vicious circle; the infection maintains itself and worsens more and more. Successful remediation did not succeed in any case, as neither by evacuation nor by flushing could every focus of pus be removed from the tight tendinous structures of the foot. Conservative treatment attempts with antibiotic bandages (e.g. Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline) in cases where pus deposits had not yet occurred were also mostly unsuccessful.
2) The second form of pododermatitis manifested as diffuse soft tissue swelling, especially in adult swifts. A connection to previous malnutrition could not be established in these cases; even adult swifts that were delivered directly without any prior handling were affected. It is not known whether these are inflammatory or oedematous swellings. The swellings affect claws, sole and spread over the entire tarsometatarsus. This ultimately leads to the formation of monstrous "paws" and secondary injuries from their own claws and subsequent severe bacterial infections. If swifts are affected that still require a long-term inpatient stay, at worst only euthanasia remains. If the "bumble foot" is only mildly pronounced and the swift can be released in the foreseeable future, it should be allowed to fly even with the swollen feet (but under no circumstances banded!). Under natural conditions – when flying! – the feet of a swift are hardly stressed; normal movement should also promote the resorption of accumulated tissue fluid; healing is more likely to be expected in the wild than with further treatment attempts in human care.
Throat Infections
The pharynx of a wild swift is usually sterile. All throat mucosa and pharyngeal infections observed so far were multifactorial diseases that occurred in captivity, favoured by inadequate hygiene, a weakened immune system, vitamin deficiency, too dry mucous membranes and stress.
The most common form is a smear infection with Candida albicans. Infected animals show slimy whitish pharyngeal coatings and sweetish foetor ex ore. Untreated, the pharyngeal coatings can grow into thick brownish crusts that at worst even impede the bird's swallowing and breathing. So far, only Candida albicans has been detected in throat swabs of affected swifts. Yeasts of other genera and species did not occur. Candida albicans infections should be treated immediately, as they have been observed several times as a precursor to severe bacterial throat infections. Not infrequently, pathogenic germs such as Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected in bacterial examination. An antibiogram is essential for successful treatment. However, such throat infections have often proven therapy-resistant and, due to their dramatic peracute course, have required euthanasia of the affected swift!
A vitamin A deficiency, which is not uncommon during longer stays in captivity, as well as too dry mucous membranes also favour throat infections, as micro-lesions in the mucosa occur and thus an entry point for pathogenic germs.
