Pullorum Disease

Submitted to: Department of Pathology,

CVSc. Khanapara

Submitted by: Sampreet Saikia

Roll no: 19-VK-81
 CONTENTS
 General information
 Etiology
 Transmission
 Host susceptibility
 Pathogenesis
 Clinical signs
 Lesions
 Gross
 Microscopic
 Diagnosis
 Treatment
 GENERAL INFORMATION

Also known as Bacillary White Diarrhea, it is a bacterial disease affecting

chicks of chicken although adult or older poultry birds are also susceptible.
It is characterized by septicemia and white diarrhea in the affected birds.
Although not very prevalent in our country, the disease is highly contagious
and exhibits vertical transmission through poultry eggs. Mortality by this
disease is very high and can peak at almost 100% with the range being
from 80 to 100. Morbidity averages at 10 to 80 percent.
Originally this disease was called Bacillary white Diarrhea because of its
characteristic white diarrhea. However it was soon discovered that this
diarrhea was not always a clinical feature during the disease, causing it to
be dubbed Pullorum disease instead.
 ETIOLOGY

This disease is caused by the

organism known as Salmonella
Pullorum. It is a gram negative
bacteria of the coli typhoid
group and is asporogenous . It is
rod shaped and non motile.
The known antigenic
components of this organism are:
99, 121, 122 and 128.

Electron micrograph of S. Pullorum

 TRANSMISSION
The primary route of transmission of pullorum disease is by the trans
ovarian route i.e. it exhibits vertical transmission. Adult chickens which
are infected but do not exhibit symptoms become carriers of the disease.
When such infected carrier birds lay eggs, the pathogen is transferred to
the eggs via the ovary because the organism has an affinity towards the
ovary of birds. As such persists in the ovaries and gets transferred to the
eggs thus causing the chicks to become infected even before they have
hatched. Although the fertility and hatchability of eggs laid by a carrier
bird is very less, if one of these eggs hatches, a new carrier of the disease
is born.
Apart from vertical transmission which is its most common and important
route, this disease is also transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food
and water as the organism is excreted along with faeces along with
cannibalism of infected birds.
Contact with the egg shells of infected birds causes the spread of the
pathogen.
Dissemination of the bacteria in the brooder caused by the shedding of fur
or feathers from infected chicks can also contribute to the spread.
 HOST SUSCEPTIBILITY
The disease is highly adapted to birds and is seen in chicks of chicken in
majority of the cases. Mostly chicks under 3 weeks of age are affected.
The incubation period of this disease ranges from 4 to 10 days with the
common average being 6 days.
While mostly chicks suffer from this disease, adults birds are also
susceptible and mostly act as carriers, as mentioned previously. Also
other poultry birds are sometimes also affected by this disease.
Turkeys have shown to be quite susceptible to this disease along with
other birds like guinea fowls, ostriches, doves, ducks and parrots
although the latter are less susceptible.
 PATHOGENESIS
Ingestion of contaminated stuff causes the pathogen to enter through the
oral route. After entry the organisms are absorbed into the blood
stream. Following absorption, the bacteria multiply rapidly in the
blood stream causing bacteraemia in the bird. Now one of two cases
may occur:
• Bacteraemia persists: The organisms keep multiplying in the blood
which ultimately causes the death of the bird; the usual outcome in
young chicks.
• Bacteraemia subsides: The organisms stop multiplying in the blood
which causes them to become localized in the various organs of the
body. Increase in severity of the disease may occur when the
organisms flare up as a response to discomfort or stress caused by
changing weather, change in feed, extended periods of transport
etc. This occurrence causes the infected birds to become carriers,
that is if they survive.
 CLINICAL SIGNS
The disease itself has two forms; the acute from which is septicaemic and
usually ends with death and the subacute form which is less severe but
may still prove to be fatal. Based on this classification the clinical signs of
this disease are:
Acute form:
• Severe form of the disease, chicks die without any observable signs. Death
may occur after hatching or even before they have hatched as dead in shell
chicks are a common occurrence.
• Depression and tendency to huddle along with loss of appetite and respiratory
distress usually observed.
• Droppings of the bird are thick, white and viscous which adhere to the vent,
hence the name ‘Bacillary White Diarrhea”.
Sub acute form:
• Less severe form, swollen hocks and lameness commonly observed in chicks.
Humped up appearance, emaciation partly closed eyes and dry ruffled
feathers may also occur
• Adult birds manifest mild forms like dullness, depression unwillingness to eat
etc. they may also become carriers if the organisms become localized in the
ovaries
 CLINICAL SIGNS

Chicks huddling together Thick and viscous white diarrhea

Swollen hocks of chicks

 LESIONS
Gross:
 The lungs are congested. Chicks dying of the acute form rarely show any
lesions other than congested lungs.
 Yellowish tinge of yolk sac. Its contents are yellow and creamy and have a
cheesy texture
 The liver is found to be congested and enlarged with streaks of hemorrhage on
it.
 Necrotic foci and nodules may be observed in organs like gizzard, liver, lungs,
caeca, large intestine. Additionally they may also be present in cardiac
muscles.
 Congestion in kidneys is also observed with the ureters getting distended.
When opened, urates may be found in them.
 Dry necrotic material can be found in the caeca. They are enlarged and
extended.
 Adult birds may become carriers of the disease sue to its localization in the
ovaries. As such, the ovaries are abnormal. They may be irregular, have cycts
and pedunculated.
 GROSS LESIONS

Enlarged, congested and Ulcer in caecal tonsil

hemorrhagic liver

Abnormal and irregular ovary

 LESIONS
Microscopic:
 Many changes like hyperaemia, hemorrhage, necrosis, degeneration in the foci
are observed in the liver.
 Myocardium exhibits focal necrosis.
 Catarrhal bronchitis and catarrhal enteritis may be observed in the lungs and
small intestine respectively.
 Interstitial inflammation is observed in organs like liver, lungs and kidneys.
 Serositis is observed in pericardium, pleura, peritoneum and the serosa of
intestine and its folds.
 Fibroblasts and histiocytes proliferate without any detectable exudative
changes.
 Infiltration of inflammatory cells occasionally occurs.
 MICROSCOPIC LESIONS

Congestion and infiltration of Nodular lesions with lymphocyte

mononuclear cells in intestinal mucosa and plasma cell infiltration in heart

Focal necrosis and congestion in portal

triad of liver
 DIAGNOSIS

The various methods used for the diagnosis of this disease are:
 Clinical signs and lesions: Simplest method of diagnosis but not very reliable
because the clinical signs of this disease themselves aren’t very characteristic to
support a firm diagnosis. Also some symptoms may not manifest at all sometimes.
 Isolation: The recommended method for diagnosis, the organisms are isolated after
careful examination of the viscera.
 Agglutination tests: Diagnosis by detection of S. Pullorum antibodies in the blood
stream. This method however is only limited to adult or older birds due to the fact
that antibodies do not develop in young birds that have not attained immunological
maturity.
 Differential diagnosis with other similar or related diseases like fowl typhoid,
paratyphoid can also be used.
 TREATMENT

While antibiotics may help in treating the disease, it is not at all recommended
to treat the affected birds because even drugs cannot prevent the infected
birds from becoming carriers. As carriers they may spread the disease to
the progeny and in this way the endless cycle continues. Hence control and
prevention are the best methods to counter this disease.
Routine serological tests of the breeding stock can help in keeping infections
in check and the infected birds can be quickly segregated from the rest
before they can spread the disease to the entire stock. Any infectious bird
encountered should be immediately segregated and culled. Proper
biosecurity measures should be implemented to keep the feed and water
free from pullorum organisms.
THANK YOU