Disease 1 for Animal health
AHVM 211
Unit Outcomes: Bacterial
Poultry Diseases
• Demonstrate basic understanding of etiology,
transmission, pathogenesis, clinical findings and
control of bacterial poultry diseases.
Avian Mycoplasmosis
• Mycoplasmas are small, gram negative prokaryotes
• Lack cell wall and bound only by plasma membrane
• Lack ability to synthesise peptidoglycan
• Insensitive to penicillin and its analogues
• Sensitive to osmotic shock, detergents and alcohols
• Colonies are very small on solid media, growing within media
• Almost invariably associated with diseases of respiratory ,
urogenital tracts, mammary glands and eyes
Avian Mycoplasmosis
M.Synoviae
M.Gallisepticum
M.Meleagridis
M.iowe
Introduction
• Mycoplasma synoviae and gallisepticum affects chickens and turkey
• Mycoplasma meleagridis and iowe affects turkey.
•
• Common pathogen throughout poultry industry
• Difficult to eliminate from the environment.
• Causes economic losses.
• Once the flock is infected, the infection will persist the entire life of the
flock.
• Associated with respiratory • Affects primarily the joints and
disease, predisposing birds to mild respiratory disease, More
secondary infection widespread and difficult to control
• Young growing birds 4-12weeks
• Younger birds are more susceptible
to the disease than older birds
• 2-3 weeks incubation period • 1-3 weeks incubation period
• Slow drop in egg production, • No significant egg production drop,
reduced hatchability unless secondarily infected
• Poor growth, higher condemnation • Swollen joints, retarded growth
at slaughter
Control
• Good biosecurity principles (purchase negative chicks).
• Slaughter positive flock.
• Treatment with fluoroquinolone or tylosin in water for
10days, followed by in feed antibiotic treatment.
• Vaccination- live vaccine at ts/11 at 10-14weeks
Clostridial diseases
• Clostridia is spore forming gram positive bacilli
• Found in low numbers in the intestines of birds.
• Only cause disease when bird’s immune system is low
• Spores are highly resistant to disinfectants and cultures – can remain viable for up to 16
years.
• Diseases occur world-wide.
• Acute intestinal bacterial disease of turkey, chickens and game birds.
• Waterfowl are resistant.
Clostridium Colinum-Ulcerative
Enteritis
• Disease of quails
• Almost 100% mortalities
• Younger birds between 4-12weeks are more
susceptible.
• Transmission is by droppings of infected birds.
• Birds in acute form die suddenly
• Chronic birds look ruffled, whitish diarrhea,
humped posture and eventually die.
Post mortem
• Acute cases-haemorrhagic enteritis
• Chronic cases-necrosis and ulceration
in the gut and caecum. Early lesion
form yellow foci with haemorrhagic
borders. Older lesion coalesce to form
deep ulcers.
• Lower distal small intestines involved
and liver.
Treatment and control
• Antibacterial such as penicillin, sulphonamides.
• Bacitracin to be incorporated in feeds at level of 200g per ton/feed for
preventative measures.
• Good management-hygiene and sanitation.
• Introduce disease free birds.
• Raising birds on wire.
• Use of bacitracin in feed.
Clostridium Perfringens-Necrotic
Enteritis
• Acute enterotoxemia
• Affect young and growing birds(2-5 week old).
• Death within few hours.
• Coccidiosis is the contributing factor.
• Transmission is by droppings of infected birds.
• PM:Intestines are dilated, dark with fowl
smelling fluid and diphtheritic cauliflower like
membrane that involves the mucosa.
Treatment and control
• Bacitracin and virginiamycin administered in feed.
• Supportive Vitamin treatment may enhance the effectiveness
of treatment.
• Coccidial control program.
Clostridium septicum-gangrenous
dermatitis
• Causes infection by invading wounds when
immunity is low.
• Affects broilers from 4-8weeks
• Wet and warm premises.
• Signs: loss of appetite,gangreneous skin,
severe cellulitis of the thigh, wings and
wattles, sudden mortalities.
• PM:Emphysematous and cellulitis over wing
or breast
• Splenomegaly/hepatomegaly.
Treatment and control
• Antibacterial such as penicillin, sulphonamides.
• Good management-hygiene and management.
• Avoid skin trauma and immuosuppresive conditions.
Clostridium botulinum-Botulism
• The organism multiply in decaying animals and
plants producing lethal toxins.
• Birds may be affected after pecking dead carcass.
• C.botulinum produce 8 types of toxin (A-H), Type
C causes symptoms in poultry and Type A & B
have been implicated.
• Causes flaccid paralysis of the legs, wings and
neck. Eyelids are also affected.
• Death due to cardiac or respiratory failure.
Treatment and control
• Poor prognosis.
• Treatment in feed (Penicillin).
• Rapid and Proper disposal of carcass.
• Re-emerging disease in free-range conditions
• Good fly control.
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Highly infectious disease of poultry and wild birds.
• One of the most virulent disease in poultry in an acute form.
• Disease occur worldwide.
• Survivors of an acute outbreak can become chronic carriers.
• P. Multocida is gram-negative bacteria. Non spore forming, non-motile.
• Large number of immunotypes- difficult to control using bacterins
• Chronic infected birds plays major role as source of infection
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Transmission is by contaminated feeds, water, equipment,
people.
• Adults or birds in a late growing stage are more susceptible.
• Chronically infected or carrier birds are main source of infection.
• Oral, nasal and conjunctival route of entry.
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Sudden mortalities in acute infections
• Fever, anorexia, mucoid discharges from the mouth
• Increased respiratory rates, pneumonia in turkeys
• Green diarrhoea in acute
• swollen wattles in chronic cases, respiratory signs.
• Severe egg drop production
• Chronic-Localized infection in the lungs,joints,wattles,meninges and middle ear.
PM: Necrotic foci in the liver, pericardial haemorrhages.
Chronic-Caseous lesions in joints, egg/yolk rupture.
Treatment and control
• High doses of sulphonamides(not for layers/breeders),quinolones or tetracycline in
water for aleast 7days.Follow up treatment in feed if necessary.
• Valuable stock streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin injections may be given to
individual birds
• Depopulation
• Rodent and wild birds control
• Clean and disinfect
• Strict biosecurity
• Inactivated vaccines
E. Coli infections in poultry
• Colisepticaemia/ E. coli infection
• Coliform infection occurs as acute fatal septicaemia
• Subacute pericarditis and airsacculitis
• Disease of economic importance
• Causative agent Escherichia coli-Gram negative
• Normal commensal of intestines of animals
• Most of these commensals non-pathogenic
• Limited number produce extra-intestinal infections
• Pathogenic E-coli belongs mostly to 01,02, and 078 serotypes but
others also associated with cellulitis and colibacillosis
• Virulence factors- resist phagocytosis
• Utilisation of efficient iron acquisition systems
• Resistance to killing by serum, Production of colicins
• Adherence to respiratory epithelium
• Maintained in poultry environments through faecal contamination
Transmission
• Faecal contaminated eggs in hatcheries
• Infected eggs
• Predisposing factors include other diseases
• Poor ventilation
• Infection can be through respiratory tract or intestines
Clinical signs and Lesions
• Non specific
• Affected chickens shows respiratory distress, reduced appetite and poor growth
• Mortalities in young birds due to acute septicaemia, Increased fluids in body cavities
• lymphoid depletion in thymus and bursa
• Air-sacculities is classic sign of colibacillosis
• Enteritis causing diarrhoea.
• Mortality high in chicks causing omphalities.
• Chronically birds are debilitation and growth is retarded and some respiratory signs.
Treatment
• Treatment centres around environmental control
• Antibiotics can be used after sensitivity test
Salmonellosis
• Salmonella gallinurum
• Salmonella pullorum
• Salmonella enteriditis
Salmonellosis in poultry
• Most common infections in poultry
• S.Typhi and Enterica most common zoonotic diseases
• Foodborne bacterial disease
• Salmonella can present as clinically inapparent infection
• Creates potential for zoonotic transmission
• Carrier animals/birds
• Contaminated meat and eggs entering food chain
• Fowl typhoid ( s. gallinarum)
• Bacillary white diarrhoea ( s. pullorum)
Paratyphoid infections
• Caused by non-host adapted salmonellae
• Salmonella typhimurium and salmonella enteritidis
commonly
• Salmonella enteritidis- causes Contagious animal disease
• Characterised by:
• Septicaemia in young birds
• Carrier status in older poultry
Transmission & Clinical signs
• Horizontal- infected birds,
• Contaminated environments
• Infected rodents
• Can also be through faecal contaminated eggs
• Mortality limited to first week of life
• Depression, poor growth, weakness and diarrhoea
Control
• Strict biosecurity adherence
• Sanitation of hatcheries, fumigation of eggs
• Disinfection and cleaning of houses
• Pelleting of feed
• Rodent control
• Susceptible and contact birds maybe immunised by responsible
person with efficient remedy
• Infected birds must be disposed of as determined by the director
Bacillary white diarrhea
• Salmonella pullorum
• Characterised by difficult breathing, diarrhoea and high mortalities (
gazette 32234)
• causes high mortalities young birds ( chickens and turkeys)
• Few days up to 2-3 week olds
• Mortalities occurring in the second to third week of life
• Chickens are more affected than turkey, guinea-fowls and parrots
Transmission
• Horizontal and vertical transmission
• Birds can become chronic carries passing the causative agent to
offspring through the egg
• Hatchery contamination
• Horizontal transmission is through respiratory and oral route
• Transmission through contaminated feed, water and litter
• Incubation period is 4 to 5 days
Clinical signs and lesions
• Chicks are found dead or die shortly after hatching
• Birds huddle near a heat source
• Chicks become depressed, weak, loss appetite, laboured
breathing and gasping
• Whitish faecal pasting around the vent- diarrhoea
• In older birds can notice lameness and swollen joints
• Decreased egg production , reduced hatchability or fertility
Lesions
• Grey nodules in liver, lungs, heart , gizzard and intestines
• Firm cheesy material in ceca
• Synovitis prominent
• Adults would normally not show lesions
Control
• Purchase from certified free infection stock
• Practice good biosecurity measures
• Proper cleaning and disinfecting of the houses and equipment
• Routine serologic testing of breeding flock to assure freedom
Fowl typhoid
• Salmonella gallinarum
• Affects mainly mature stock
• Horizontal and vertical transmission
• Vertical transmission yields signs similar to s. pullorum
• Mortalities higher in mature flocks
Clinical signs and lesions
• Pale dehydrated birds
• May have diarrhoea
• Swollen liver
• Enlarged spleen & kidneys
• Anaemic
• Treatment and control same as for s. pullorum
Control & Differential diagnosis for S. pullorum &
S. gallinarum
• Controlled animal diseases
• Control measures act 35 gazette 32234 may 2009
• Susceptible animals:-tested by vet or officer, grand parents and pedigree
poultry should not be immunised
• Contact birds:-isolated by responsible officer and tested
• Infected animal:- isolated and destroyed by responsible officer or under
his supervision
• Differential diagnosis: fowl cholera
• Erysipelas
Clostridial diseases
• Clostridial colinum- ulcerative enteritis
• Clostridial perfringes- necrotic enteritis
• Clostridial septicum- Gangrenous dermatitis
• Clostridial botulinum- botulism
Clostridial diseases
• Clostridia is spore forming gram positive bacilli
• Found in low numbers in the intestines of birds.
• Only cause disease when bird’s immune system is low
• Spores are highly resistant to disinfectants and cultures – can remain viable for up to 16
years.
• Diseases occur world-wide.
• Acute intestinal bacterial disease of turkey, chickens and game birds.
• Waterfowl are resistant.
Clostridium Colinum-Ulcerative
Enteritis
• Disease of quails
• Almost 100% mortalities
• Younger birds between 4-12weeks are more
susceptible.
• Transmission is by droppings of infected birds.
• Birds in acute form die suddenly
• Chronic birds look ruffled, whitish diarrhea,
humped posture and eventually die.
Post mortem
• Acute cases-haemorrhagic enteritis
• Chronic cases-necrosis and ulceration
in the gut and caecum. Early lesion
form yellow foci with haemorrhagic
borders. Older lesion coalesce to form
deep ulcers.
• Lower distal small intestines involved
and liver.
Treatment and control
• Antibacterial such as penicillin, sulphonamides.
• Bacitracin to be incorporated in feeds at level of 200g per ton/feed for
preventative measures.
• Good management-hygiene and sanitation.
• Introduce disease free birds.
• Raising birds on wire.
• Use of bacitracin in feed.
Clostridium Perfringens-Necrotic
Enteritis
• Acute enterotoxemia
• Affect young and growing birds(2-5 week old).
• Death within few hours.
• Coccidiosis is the contributing factor.
• Transmission is by droppings of infected birds.
• PM:Intestines are dilated, dark with fowl
smelling fluid and diphtheritic cauliflower like
membrane that involves the mucosa.
Treatment and control
• Bacitracin and virginiamycin administered in feed.
• Supportive Vitamin treatment may enhance the effectiveness
of treatment.
• Coccidial control program.
Clostridium septicum-gangrenous
dermatitis
• Causes infection by invading wounds when
immunity is low.
• Affects broilers from 4-8weeks
• Wet and warm premises.
• Signs: loss of appetite,gangreneous skin,
severe cellulitis of the thigh, wings and
wattles, sudden mortalities.
• PM:Emphysematous and cellulitis over wing
or breast
• Splenomegaly/hepatomegaly.
Treatment and control
• Antibacterial such as penicillin, sulphonamides.
• Good management-hygiene and management.
• Avoid skin trauma and immuosuppresive conditions.
Clostridium botulinum-Botulism
• The organism multiply in decaying animals and
plants producing lethal toxins.
• Birds may be affected after pecking dead carcass.
• C.botulinum produce 8 types of toxin (A-H), Type
C causes symptoms in poultry and Type A & B
have been implicated.
• Causes flaccid paralysis of the legs, wings and
neck. Eyelids are also affected.
• Death due to cardiac or respiratory failure.
Treatment and control
• Poor prognosis.
• Treatment in feed (Penicillin).
• Rapid and Proper disposal of carcass.
• Re-emerging disease in free-range conditions
• Good fly control.
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Highly infectious disease of poultry and wild birds.
• One of the most virulent disease in poultry in an acute form.
• Disease occur worldwide.
• Survivors of an acute outbreak can become chronic carriers.
• P. Multocida is gram-negative bacteria. Non spore forming, non-motile.
• Large number of immunotypes- difficult to control using bacterins
• Chronic infected birds plays major role as source of infection
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Transmission is by contaminated feeds, water, equipment,
people.
• Adults or birds in a late growing stage are more susceptible.
• Chronically infected or carrier birds are main source of infection.
• Oral, nasal and conjunctival route of entry.
Avian Pasteurollosis-Fowl cholera
• Sudden mortalities in acute infections
• Fever, anorexia, mucoid discharges from the mouth
• Increased respiratory rates, pneumonia in turkeys
• Green diarrhoea in acute
• swollen wattles in chronic cases, respiratory signs.
• Severe egg drop production
• Chronic-Localized infection in the lungs,joints,wattles,meninges and middle ear.
PM: Necrotic foci in the liver, pericardial haemorrhages.
Chronic-Caseous lesions in joints, egg/yolk rupture.
Treatment and control
• High doses of sulphonamides(not for layers/breeders),quinolones or tetracycline in
water for aleast 7days.Follow up treatment in feed if necessary.
• Valuable stock streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin injections may be given to
individual birds
• Depopulation
• Rodent and wild birds control
• Clean and disinfect
• Strict biosecurity
• Inactivated vaccines
Avian tuberculosis
• Chronic disease affecting wide range of birds
• Caused by Mycobacterium avium through the faecal-oral route.
• Granulomatous bacterial infection
• Always chronic with progressive loss of condition, rare because of birds lifespan.
• Commonly diagnosed in adult birds
• Unlikely to occur in commercial broilers
• Zoonotic potential
• Control-replacement stock, isolate birds from suspected houses.
Clinical signs and lesions
• Emaciation
• Lameness may be seen
• Granulomatous nodules of varying size in liver, spleen and
intestines
• Bone marrow
• Lesions not calcified
• Diagnosis : avian tuberculin can be done in birds with wattles
• Smears from lesions
• Culture ?
Control
• Chemotherapy ineffective
• Destroy infected birds
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect houses
• Quarantine new entrants in aviaries
Infectious coryza
• Acute respiratory disease of chickens
• Caused by Avibacterium paragallinurum.
• Occur with other respiratory diseases.
• World wide distribution
• Characterised by swollen face and nasal discharge and sneezing ,40.-
60% drop in egg production.
• Survivors and asymptomatic birds are carriers of the disease.
• Spread by contact.
Transmission
• Direct contact, airborne droplets and contaminated water
• Chronically ill or healthy carrier birds are reservoirs of infection
• Incubation period 1-3 days
• Chickens of all ages susceptible
• Disease duration normally about 3 weeks
• Poor biosecurity, poor environment and stress due to other diseases
may contribute to infections with avibacterium paragallinurum
Clinical signs
• Depression
• Serous nasal discharge
• Swelling of one or both infraorbital sinuses
• Oedema may lead to closure of the eyes
• Swelling comes down in 10-14 days
• Diarrhoea may be seen
• Lesions: semifluid exudate in the infraorbital sinuses, conjunctivitis
Treatment and control
• Sulphonamides(not for layers/breeders),quinolones or
tetracycline in water for aleast 5-7days.
• Streptomycin and dihydrostrptomycin injections may be given to
individual birds as a follow up after water medication with
sulpha drugs.
• Control-strict biosecurity
• Vaccination-oil adjuvant vaccine-two vaccination at 4weeks
apart at 12 and 16 weeks of age.
END!!!!
QUESTIONS??
