Two forms of fowl pox in chickens and turkeys are generally recognized as the skin form,which is marked by pimples,scabs on the comb, face, and wattles in chickens,on the dewlap and snood of turkeys and then so-called wet pox, which affects the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and tongue, causing cankers or yellowish false membranes. Although the skin form is more common,the wet pox causes more immediate mortality. The forms occur almost simultaneously, but each may occur independently of the other. Fowl pox may attack poultry of any age. The disease lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Death loss is usually not high, but egg production in layers and turkey breeders is reduced for several weeks. Eggs are frequently low in fertility and hatchability. Fowl pox may be spread through direct contact of the healthy birds and infected ones. Mosquitoes and wild birds are mechanical carriers of the infection. Even though caused by a virus, the disease spreads rather slowly.

Signs: In the skin form, lesions of fowl pox start as small, white bumps, which grow rapidly and turn yellow, then dark brown. After 2 to 4 weeks, the pocks dry up and become scabby. The lesions appear most often on the comb, face, and wattles in chickens and on the dewlap and snood of turkeys. But lesions also may appear on the legs and feet, and other parts of the body. In wet pox, breathing may be difficult, there may be a nasal or eye discharge, and facial swelling may occur. The whitish-yellow cankers may be seen in the mouth and on the tongue.