Bacterial diseases in Poultry chicks

Dr. K. Rama Rao Dept. of Zoology Bacterial diseases in Poultry chicks 1. Acute fowl typhoid (a) The aetiological or causative agent is Salmonella gallinarum. Gram negative bacteria (b) The transmission of the bacterium is through contaminated eggs among growing or productive flocks. Death rate among adult birds is higher. Symptoms (b) The outbreaks usually begin with a sharp decline in forage consumption, and egg production followed by diarrhoea. (c) The rate of fertilization and hatchability is considerably reduced. (d) The death rate in acute fowl typhoid is high and varies between 10% and 90%. About 1/3 of chickens hatched from eggs from typhoid-infected die. (e) Adult birds is the enlarged liver with bronze greenish tint around. (f) Unlike pullorum disease, fowl typhoid lasts for months. (g) Often, enteritis with ulcerations of the anterior part of small intestine, spleen with grayishwhite prominent nodules on the surface, myocardial and pulmonary necroses acquiring brown colour with sarcoma-like nodules. Courtesy: Google site Treatment polzomycin and neotarchocin appeared to be the most effective drugs in the treatment of poultry diseases caused by S. pullorum or S. gallinarum. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 1 A vaccine called 9R, used for typhoid infection, is available worldwide. It is a rough strain of Salmonella Gallinarum, but in most countries, it is not allowed in broilers, because it interferes in the serology monitoring of chicken meat. Live and inactivated vaccines are available for fowl typhoid in some countries. If introduced control should focus on eradication of the disease through isolation and destruction of contaminated flocks, proper disposal of carcasses and disinfection of fomites. Probiotics can be used during the first days or after the medication/stress periods. Proper management, cleaning and disinfection of the hatchery all contribute to limiting the incidence and spread of Salmonella. Cross contamination can occur, mainly when there is a mixture of birds from positive and negative flocks. 2. Chronic Respiratory Disease (a) This is the egg transmitted disease caused by the infection of negative and non motile bacteria viz., Mycoplasma galliseptic M. gallinarum. (b) The disease is characterized by prolonged respiratory or breathina problem. (c) Hens and turkeys at all ages are susceptible to this disease. (d) In many cases severe pathogenecity is observed because of multiple infections. (e) Common micro-organisms associated are E. coli, P. multocida H. paragallinarum and other viruses. (f) Most outbreaks are in broiler chickens older than 4 weeks. (g) The course of the disease is more severe during the winter and in cases associated infections. High rate of mortality to the extent of 80%. (h) Conjunctivitis, facial skin oedema and profuse tear secretion cobe observed. (i) Infection is through the contamination of water with droppings. (j) Disease can be controlled by dipping of hatching eggs in antibiotic tions and the administration of antibiotics like Tylosin, Roscillin furazoidine. (k) Proper disposal of carcass. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 2 Symptoms The signs of CRD are sniffling, sneezing, coughing and other signs of respiratory distress. When suspected, observe the birds from a distance to get a good idea of the symptoms as birds often do not display signs of disease once caught. The most characteristic signs in adult flocks are dullness, loss of appetite, high fever, yellow diarrhoea, tracheal inflammation, rapid breathing, sneezing, swollen sinuses, nasal discharge, coughing, eyes and respiratory disa tress, reduced body weight and decreased egg production, dropping wings and tail, ruffled feathers and comb. Sometimes CRD slowly spreads through the flock causing poor production, retarded growth and wet noses. In these cases there are usually few mortalities unless the underlying stressors increase. Courtesy: Google site Treatment Tylosin or tetracyclines have been commonly used to reduce egg transmission or as prophylactic treatment to prevent respiratory disease in broilers and turkeys. Enrofloxacin and norfloxacin-nicotinate are efficacious for treatment of CRD. Live F-strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum (FMG) vaccines are presently being used to help control field-strain chronic respiratory disease. 3. Fowl Cholera (a) The disease is caused by a gram negative, bipolar and non-motile bacteria viz., Pasteurella multocida. (b) The disease is expressed as acute, respiratory, septicaemisc and chronic types. (c) Adult birds are more susceptible than the baby chickens. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 3 d) Bacterial transmission is through the contamination of food and water, oral and nasal discharges and droppings of birds. Insects are the reservoirs and recovered birds are the best carriers. Courtesy: The poultry site Symptoms (1) In acute condition, birds suffer from loss of appetite, bluish comb, nasal discharge, high fever, Greenish yellow diarrhoea and die in two days. (ii) Visceral haemorrhages, grey or yellowish green diarrhoea, purplish discoloration of comb and wattles are the symptoms associated with septicaemia. (iii) Respiratory disease is associated with sneezing, coughing and gasping. Birds stop taking feed. (iv) Chronic cholera is identified by the presence of leisions on wings, joints, legs, foot and bursa, walking in circles, non coordination between organs and lameness. Prevention Infection can be prevented through hygiene, disinfection, fumigation, sanitation, and isolation of the birds for special attention besides vaccinating the birds at the age of 8 weeks. Treatment Disease could be controlled by treating with sulphonamides, erythromycin and tetracyclins. Powdered forms of hostacyclin, roscillin, auromycin, duaprim etc., also help in curing the disease. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 4 Biosecurity, good rodent nt control, hygiene, bacterins at 8 and 12 weeks, ks, live l oral vaccine at 6 weeks. The new vaccine, Vaxsaf Vaxsafe PM, has undergone testing as a candidate te vaccine Sukvin vaccine is more effective tive for the control of fowl cholera than any y previously used treatment 4. CORYZA DISEASE The disease is caused by the infe nfection of Haemophilus paragallinarum. The inci ncidence is limited to damp areas and high altitudes. udes. Symptoms Symptoms of the disease are cou sticking of coughing, sneezing, swollen face, breathing problem, probl the eye lids together, fowl smell pnoea, reduced feed elling discharge from eves and nostrils, dyspnoe consumption and low egg produc oduction. onditions. (a) Morality rate is low in normal al conditions while high in acute and chronic condi (b) Bacterial transmission is throug hrough water and moist litter and carrier birds. hydrostreptomycin. (c) Disease may be controlled by injecting the birds with streptomycin and dihyd n water Sulphathiazole, sulphaquinoxaline line and other such sulpha drugs can be given in wa and feed. ouse at 55°c etc., will (d) Replacing the birds with fresh esh stock, good hygiene, warming the farm house prevent the infection. Courtesy: The poultry ultry site Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zool Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, ge, Visakhapatnam Page 5 Treatment Erythromycin and oxytetracycline are usually effective. Additionally, several newergeneration antimicrobials (eg, fluoroquinolones, macrolides) are active against infectious coryza. Various sulfonamides, including trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and other drug combinations have been successful for treatment. Poulvac Coryza ABC IC3 is indicated for the immunization of healthy chickens against clinical signs of infectious coryza (5) PULLORUM DISEASE or Bacillary White Diarrhoea (BWD) in Fowls (a) This acute systemic disease is caused by Salmonella pullorum to young chicken aged 5-10 days. (b) The fowls themselves are the carriers of this disease. (c) The body of young chicken becomes moist. (d) Baby and young chicken aggregate in groups. Symptoms (e) Symptoms of the disease are dullness, bacillary white diarrhoea, breathing problem and high mortality. (f) Adult birds are asymptomatic but show ruffled feathers, greenish diarrhoea, dullness and depression, paleness of comb and wattles, enlarged liver and the mortality rates increase by 7th 10th day after hatching. (g) The affected chickens appear somnolent, depressed and their growth is retarded. (h) Feathers around the vent in many chickens are stained with diarrhoelc faeces or pasted with dry faeces. (i) Typical symptom is formation of greenish white nodes in the internal organs like heart, lungs, liver, gizzard walls and intestinal peritoneum. (j) Whitish gray milliary necroses are found out in the liver. (k) Ureters are often filled with urates. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 6 (l)Oedema of tibiotarsal joints is a frequent associated sign. (m) S. pullorum is transmitted by infected eggs of layer hens acting as carriers. (n) Many hatched infected chickens spread the microorganism to other birds via gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. (0) Adult carrier birds also spread the causative agent through their excreta. Courtesy: The poultry site Treatment Nitroferan, furazolidine, sulphamezathin, auromycin etc., are administered to treat the birds and to control mortality. Biosecu rity, good rodent control, hygiene, bacterins at 8 and 12 weeks, live oral vaccine at 6 weeks. Prevention Eradication from breeder flocks. As with other salmonellae, recovered birds are resistant to the effects of infection but may remain carriers. Vaccines are not normally used as they interfere with serological testing and elimination of carriers. Pullorum should be isolated and typed for further confirmation of the disease. Infected birds are culled and killed, buried in soil to prevent further infection. Maintenance of good hygienic conditions, fumigation, brooder sanitation etc., would help in preventing the spread of the disease. The most common test used to detect pullorum-typhoid disease is the rapid whole-blood plate test Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 7 6. COLIFORM IDISEASE (a) These are caused by the infection of a pathogen, Escherichia coli infecting the large intestine and caecae and posterior part of the small intestina (b) Coli septicaemia, coli bacillosis or coli pericarditis are the impairmentthrea constituting coliform infections. (c) The same pathogen also causes osteomyelitis, yolksac infections, coli granuloma, are the other diseases caused by the same pathogen. (d) Broilers in high stocking are easily susceptible to these infections. (e) It also can spread in poultry birds through fecal contamination and through contaminated eggs. Symptoms 1. Ruffled feathers,depression, Less feed intake, coughing, and change of voice in breathing 2. Liver impairment, enlargement of liver, avoidance of feed and water are the symptoms. https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-ofpoultry/178/escherichia-coli-infections Treatment Antimicrobials commonly used to treat enteric colibacillosis must be chosen for their ability to achieve therapeutic concentrations in the intestinal content. The most frequently used are enrofloxacin, apramycin, ceftiofur, neomycin, gentamicin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, trimethoprim/sulphonamide and colistin. Prevention Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 8 Never compromise with micro nutrients like chromium and selenium dose in Poultry feed. Always give fungus free and good quality feed for less stress to birds. Finally the most important, in most of cases E-Coli is secondary disease in Poultry. When bird is affecting with any other disease E-coli find space for it. Increased dust and ammonia levels and higher litter moisture irritate the respiratory epithelium and provide an opening for E. coliinfections. Good hygiene in handling of hatching eggs, hatchery hygiene, good sanitation of house, feed and water. Well-nourished embryo and optimal incubation to maximise day-old viability. 7. SPIROCHAETOSIS or Tick fever or tick paralysis in poultry Avian intestinal spirochaetosis (AIS) is a common disease occurring in poultry that can be caused by Borrelia anserina , a Gram-negative bacterium. (a) It is transmitted by arthropods, e.g. Argas persicus, and occasionally by infected faeces. (b) Symptoms of the disease are high fever, greenish dlarrhoea, paleco and wattles, increased thirst and appetite, and paralysis before death Red mites and are the other (c) The disease is transmitted by the fowl ticks, hence it can be called fever. It also spreads through contaminated food and water. Red mite bird ticks also transmit the infection. (d) High rate of mortality is recorded. Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 9 Symptoms Depression, Cyanosis, Thirst, Often diarrhoea with excessive urates, Weakness and progressive paralysis, Drops in egg production may be seen in both systemic and intestinal forms. Marked splenomegaly, Spleen mottled with ecchymotic haemorrhages, Liver enlarged with small haemorrhages, Necrotic foci, Mucoid enteritis. Treatment The disease may be controlled by killing ticks and administering antibiotic like penicillin, knamycin, streptomycin, oxy tetracycline and chlorotetracuri to the birds. Prevention Control vectors, vaccines in some countries. References The Poultry site Bacterial Enteritides of Poultry: Robert E. Porter, Jr CommonInfectiousDiseasesinBackyardPoultryBy Yuko Sato , DVM, MS, DACPV, Iowa State University Bacterial Diseases of Poultry: Joe G. Berry Dr. Karri. Rama Rao, Dept. of Zoology, Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree College, Visakhapatnam Page 10