Reference books for Poultry Pathology

• Diseases of Poultry – B.W. Calnek

• Poultry Diseases – F.T.W. Jordan
• Diseases of Poultry and Their control – R. Chandra
et al.,
• Poultry Diseases : A guide for Farmers and Poultry
Professionals
• A text book of Veterinary Special Pathology-
J.L.Vegad and A.K. Katiyar
• A colour Atlas of Poultry Diseases- J.L.Vegad
 Salmonellosis

• Genus Salmonella consists of more than 2300

serologically distintinguishable varieties
• S.pullorum, S.gallinarum are non motile and all other
species are usually motile and have long flagellae
• These two sps are host specific for avian species.
• Pullrorum disease is caused by S pullorum. It is an acute
disease of chicks and poults.
• Fowl typhoid is caused by S. gallinarum and it is an
acute or chronic septicaemic disease affecting mature
birds.
• The disease manifests with acute r chronic
infections
• The second group includes infection with
motile salmonella serotypes referred to
collectively as paratyphoid salmonellae
• Paratyphoid infections are important mainly
as a cause of food borne disease in humans.
 Pullorum disease (Bacillary white diarrhoea)

• Pullorum disease is caused by bacterium

Salmonella pullorum.
• It was previously known as bacillary white
diarrhoea or BWD.
• It is septicaemic disease affecting mainly
chickens and turkeys.
• S.pullorum is Gram negative, nonmotile rod 0.3-
0.5 x 1.25 μm and has no flagellar or H antigen
• Usually grow on direct culture on
MacConkey’s agar as pale, non lactose
fermenting colonies
• S. pullorum differs from S. gallinarum in its
inability to ferment dulcitol and maltose
• Survive outside body for many months
• Mortality upto 60% in chicks and 20% in adults
• Morbidity 40%
Species affected
• Mainly domestic chicken
• Turkeys
• Ducks
• Pigeons
• Guinea fowl
• Pheasants
• sparrows
Spread:
• Horizontal and vertical(transovarian)
• The important method for spread is transovarian
transmission.
• A portion of infected birds become adult carriers with
S.pullorum persisting in the ovaries excreted in the ova.
• These birds become poor layers
• The fertility and hatchability of infected egg is also below
average.
• Contaminated feed, water and fluffs
• However viable chicks do hatch from such
infected eggs and remain as source of infection.
• Fluff from such chicks is heavily contaminated
with S.pullorum and it dries, the bacteria are
disseminated through the incubator or brooder.
• Both vertical snd horizontal transmission
occurs.
Signs:
• Pullorum is seen in chicks under 3 weeks of age.
• First indication is excess numbers of dead in
shell chicks and death soon after hatching.
• Depression, tendency to huddle, respiratory
distress, anorexia,white viscous droppings which
adhere to the feathers around the vent.
• The mortality can be 100%.
• A subacute form with lameness and swollen,
hock joints(arthritis) may be seen in growing
birds and result of poor growth rates.
• Older birds may appear listless, depression
and have pale and shrunken combs with white
diarrhoea
• Reduced egg production may be the only sign
of the disease in adult birds.
Lesions:
• Chicks which die soon after hatching have
peritonitis with inflamed unabsorbed yolk sac.
• Lungs may be congested, liver is dark and
swollen with haemorrhages.
• In chicks which die after showing signs of
disease for 1-2 days, there may be typhlitis.
• The caeca are enlarged and distended with casts
of hard dry necrotic material.
• Discrete small white necrotic foci in liver, lungs,
myocardium, intestines and gizzard wall.
• Spleen frequently enlarged
• In adult birds abnormal ovary- ova are irregular,
discoloured, cystic, misshapen pedunculated with
prominent stalk, impaction of ovary
• Pericarditis peritonitis, ascites and arthritis
Salmonellosis
• In growers affected with arthritis. Hock joints
are enlarged.
• In chicks lesions area not constant.
• In adult birds abnormal ovary with irregular
cystic, misshapen discoloured pedunculated
with promininent thickened stalks.
• Peritonitis and pericarditis is also common.
Diagnosis:
• Isolation of the causal organisms
• Rapid plate agglutination test after 16 weeks of age -
>2min positive, within 30 sec positive
• Tube agglutination test
• EELISA
• PCR
Differential diagnosis
Omphaltis, Collibacillosis
 Fowl typhoid

• Fowl typhoid is caused by S. gallinarum.

• A short bacillus 1-2 μm long and 1.5 μm broad and
don’t poses flagellae
• Readily grows in blood agar and MacConkeys agar as
pale, non lactose fermenting colonies
• Ferments glucose , mannitol, maltose and dulcitol but
does not ferment lactose, sucrose, and salicin
• It is septicaemic disease affecting mainly chicks and
growers or adult birds although chiks can be infected.
Spread:
• Vertical and horizontal
• Organisms are passed in droppings.
• Lateral spread is by ingestion of contaminated food or
water.
• Recovered birds remain carriers for long period of time.
• Egg transmission also occurs.
• Transmission can occur by contact, attendant, visitors
and contaminated materials.
Signs:
• increase in mortality in chicks and continuous
mortality in adults (>50%)
• anorexia, drop in egg production.
• Watery mucoid yellowish diarrhoea and soiled
vent.
• Depressioin and ruffled feathers
• Shrunken pale combs and wattle
• In sub cute outbreak sporadic mortality over a
long period.
• In chicks signs are similar to pullorum disease.
• Increase in dead in shell embryos and dead
chicks in hatching trays
Lesions:
• Swollen friable liver with multiple necrotic
foci.
• Surface has a characteristic coppery bronze
sheen.
• Spleen enlarged with necrotic foci
• catarrhal enteritis.
• In chronic phase include emaciated and
intensely anaemic carcass with focal necrosis
in heart,intestine,liver heart.
• Necrotic foci in liver, lungs, myocardium and
gizzard.
• In laying bird rupture of yolk occurs.
Fowl Typhoid(Bronze coloured Liver)
Diagnosis:
• Isolation and identification of organisms
• Rapid plate agglutination test
• Tube agglutination test
 Salmonellosis- Avian paratyphoid

• Food borne disease trnsmission to humans

• Salmonellosis, there are > 2300 serotypes isolated from poultry.
• S.typhimurium
• S.hadar
• S.enteritidis
• S. Heidelberg
• S. montevideo
• S. kentucky
• It rarely cause clinical disease in chicks > 3 weeks of age.
• Organisms motile
Pathogenesis:
3 type of toxins are reported
• Endotoxin- cell wall polysacharide(LPS)- fever,
liver and spleen lesions,
• Enterotoxin(heat labile)-Increased secretory
response in epithelial cells. Causes fluid
accumulation in the intestinal lumen.
• Cytotoxin(heat stable)- Structural damage to
epithelial cells.
Spread:
• It is spread by contaminated feed(animal protein,
fish meal, bone meal etc),
• animal and insect vectors( rats, mice, cockroach).
• It can be transmitted both by vertical transmission
and horizontal transmission.
• It is spread by contaminated faeces and water in
feed.
• S.enteritidis: Organisms enters as eggs get cooled
Signs:
• mortality of chicks >3 weeks of age
• Ruffled feather, droopy wings, diarrhoea and
pasty vent
• Ducklings, young turkeys. Mortality< 20% is
recorded. Diarrhoea, pasty vent is common.
Lesion:
• congestion and necrotic lesions.
• Swollen liver, spleen and kidney.
• Unabsorbed yolk sac is common feature.
• Haemorrhagic enteritis
• Typhlitis is characteristic.
• Distention of caeca with white necrotic cores.
• Peritonitis, enteritis and caecal coring are
pathognomonic.
Diagnosis:
• Isolation of organisms from liver, gall bladder,
yolk, and caecum.
• Whole blood agglutination tesi
• ELISA
• PCR
Salmonella colour antigen
Culture of Salmonella
 Identification of salmonella by Fermentation
reactions
Lactose Maltose Dulcitol Dextrose/Man
nitol
S.pullorum No change No change No change Fermented
with gas
S.gallinarum No change Acid Acid Fermented
without gas