DISEASES
The Following is a listing of all diseases and disease agents that have been positively identified and reported in the scientific literature. Because of the relative newness of this industry, this list will surely increase as more information is gathered. At the present time, tentative, but not confirmed, reports exist of other potential diseases that could effect ostrich. You should work closely with your Veterinarian and a state or federal diagnostic laboratory when ever you suspect disease problems or are concerned about the introduction of agents onto your ranch.
Nematode
Paronchocerca struthionus. A filariad nematode recovered from the lungs of an ostrich in West Africa. An incidental finding in a bird that died of other causes. Pathogenicity unknown.
Struthiofilaria megalocephala. Several reports of nematodes from body cavity of ostrich. Pathogenicity unknown but possible.
Lipostrongylus douglassi. Intestinal nematode of ostrich. Reported susceptible to antihelminthic treatment with fenbendazole.
Cestode
Houttuynia struthionis. Intestinal tapeworm of ostrich. Reporting of efficacy of fenbendazole.
Trematode.
Philophthalmus gralli (eye fluke) reported to cause severe eye irritation and discharge in captive ostrich in Florida.
Protozoa
Hexamitiasis. Reported identifications of intestinal infections with possible pathogenicity in young ranched ostrich in North America.
Arthropods.
Struthiolipeurus nandu (Mallophagan louse) infestation in ostrich causing feather loss.
Unidentified feather mite belonging to family Pterolichidae infesting ostrich in North America causing feather loss. Successfully treated with Ivermectin.
Numerous ticks of various life stages reported to infest ostrich.
Viral diseases
Newcastle disease virus in ostrich reported in ranched ostrich in Israel. High mortality reported with viral isolation from brain.
Pox virus recovered from skin lesion in Israel.
Spongyform encephalopathy in a ranched ostrich.
Crimean-Congo Haemmorrhagic Fever Virus. Report of virus isolation from human thought to have acquired infection from handling slaughter ostrich or ticks off the ostrich in South Africa.
Bacterial Diseases
Staphylococcus hyicus in an ostrich causing conjunctivitis.
Colobacillosis responsible for mortalities in young ranched ostrich.
Tuberculosis in ostrich and other ratites.
Pasteurella multocida infections in ostrich in Nigeria resulting in generalized and pulmonary infections.
Fungal infections
Aspergillus infections reported in Ostrich.
Nutritional and metabolic diseases.
Vitamin E and selenium deficiencies in ostrich from South Africa.
Parsley-induced photosensitivity in captive ostrich.
Anasarca and myopathy in ostrich chicks.
Nutritional muscular dystrophy in ostrich chicks .