Poultry Flash - Fowl Cholera Flashcards
what agent causes fowl cholera?
pasteurella multocida - highly contagious
what animals are most often affected by outbreaks of fowl cholera? what may predispose them to illness?
chickens, turkeys (most severe), ducks, & geese
young adults under physiologic stress (egg laying cycles) & cooler seasons
what happens if a bird survives the acute form of fowl cholera?
they become a chronically infected carrier
what is the case presentation of the acute form of fowl cholera?
acute septicemia - fever, ruffled feathers, tachypnea, cyanosis of wattles/combs, mucoid mouth discharge, anorexia, diarrhea, dehydration, emaciation
asymptomatic with sudden death
what is the classic case presentation of the chronic form of fowl cholera?
acute survivors/low virulence strain - asymptomatic or
localized infections throughout body - wattles/sinuses/foot pads/sternal bursa/leg & wing joints
exudative conjunctivitis, dyspnea, tracheal rattles, & middle ear meningeal infection (torticollis)
what is seen on necropsy of the acute form of fowl cholera?
hyperemic abdominal visceral veins (duodenum), visceral ecchymotic/petechial hemorrhages
pneumonia in turkeys, pericardial & coelemic cavity fluid, hepatomegaly, & coagulative necrosis
what is seen on necropsy of the chronic form of fowl cholera?
caseous fibrinous exudate - calvarial bones, middle ear, meninges, air spaces
suppurative lesions - respiratory tract, pneumatic bones
what is seen on microscopic exam on samples taken from a bird that died from fowl cholera?
gram negative bipolar rod
how is fowl cholera diagnosed?
necropsy, microscopic exam, bacterial culture & sensitivity
how is fowl cholera treated?
supportive care, abx (sulfas, tetracyclines, penicillin for sulfa resistant strains)
abx generally not practical for commercial poultry
how is fowl cholera prevented?
eliminate reservoirs (carrier animals, sick, & dead birds)
vaccination, strict biosecurity, & sanitation protocols
what animals serve as reservoirs for fowl cholera?
chronically ill carrier birds, wild birds, & rodents
