Fowl cholera

 

Introduction :

Fowl cholera is a contagious disease affecting domesticated and wild birds, caused by pasteurella multocida. 
Fowl cholera is a septicemic disease associated with high morbidity and mortality and a characteristic diarrhea.
Most reported outbreaks and disease ave been reported in chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.

Game birds raised in captivity and small feral birds are susceptible. P. multocida from birds with Fowl cholera will usually rabbits and mice but other animals are resistant to infection.

Clinical signs :

1. Acute form :
Sudden death without premonitory signs, and signs that often occur are fever, anorexia, ruffled feathers, mucous discharge from the mouth, cyanosis, fetid diarrhea and increased respiratory rate.
The diarrhoeic faces is initially watery and whitish in color but later becomes greenish and contain mucus..
Birds that survive may show emaciation and dehydration.
2. Chronic form :
This form may be seen in birds that survive the more acute disease or it may result from infection with an organism of relatively low virulence.
The clinical signs include depression, conjunctivitis, dyspnoea, lameness, torticollis and swelling of the wattles, sinuses, leg and wing joints, foot pad sternal bursae.

Diagnosis :

A tentative diagnosis can be made on disease history, clinical signs and necropsy findings like subepicardial haemorrhages, multiple necrotic foci in liver.
Demonstration of the causal organisms confirms the diagnosis of Fowl cholera.

Treatment :

1.Sulphonamides :
Sodium sulphamerzine 0.2% in drinking water or 0.4% in feed has been reported to be effective..
Sulphaquinoxaline 0.01% to 0.05% in drinking water or food has shown to be effective to cheek mortality during outbreaks.
 2. Antibiotics :
Tetracyclines chlortetracycline 40 mg / kg IM or 1 mg / g in feed, Oxytetracyclin 500 g / ton in feed are effective therapy.
Streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin injection gives good results in ducks.
The therapeutic treatment of Fowl cholera should be continued for 7 to 10 day, may be longer period during which drugs are administered at a lower dose.

Control :

Vaccination Against Fowl cholera is the reliable control method.