Cholera

INTRODUCTION:

Fowl cholera occurs worldwide in turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese and birds of prey. It affects young adults but in general more males than females. Fowl cholera is a contagious bacterial infection. The disease can range from acute septicaemia (blood poisoning) to chronic and localised infections. Domestic fowl, game birds and small feral birds are susceptible. Turkeys are more susceptible than chickens, older chickens are more susceptible than young ones, and some breeds of chickens are more susceptible than others. The disease is rare in broiler-aged chickens. Chronically infected birds are considered to be a major source of infection. Transmission is from bird to bird or from infected premises. Recovered birds remain carriers.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

 Fowl Cholera Is An Infectious Disease In Domestic Fowl, Waterfowl And Other Avian Species. It Is Manifested Either In Acute Septicaemic Form With A High Morbidity And Death Rates Or As Chronic Local Forms (Independently Or Secondary To Acute Ones). Acute Fowl Cholera. The Sudden And Unexpected Death Could Be The First Sign Of The Disease. In This Form, The Lesions Are Predominantly Related To Vascular Injuries.

Commonly Observed Signs Are Anorexia, Ruffled Feathers, Oral And Nasal Mucus Discharge, Cyanosis And White Or Greenish Watery Mucoid Diarrhoea. Frequently, Subserous Petechial Or Ecchymosed Haemorrhages In The Anterior Part Of The Small Intestine, The Gizzard Or The Abdominal Fat Are Discovered.

 Congestion (Overfilling Of Blood Vessels With Red Blood Cells) Of The Liver As An Initial Manifestation Of E. Coli Septicaemia In A Broiler Chicken. H/E, Bar = 40 Μm.

In Layers (Commercial Or Breeders), Acute Oophorites With Regressing Follicles And Consequently, Diffuse Peritonites Are Commonly Observed.

Chronic Fowl Cholera. It Is Characterized By Local Inflammations. The Periorbital Sinuses Are Frequently Affected By A Serofibrinous Inflammation.

Another Local Form Is The Injury Of Wattles That Are Strongly Distended Because Of Their Filling With Fibrinous Caseous Content. The Flocks That Recuperated From Fowl Cholera Continue To Carry And Shed Pasteurella Multocida. The Carriers Store The Organism In Nasal Choanas And Contaminate The Forage, Water And The Environment With Oral Discharges. Wild Birds And Some Mammals (Swine) Could Also Carry The Agent And Introduce It Into Poultry Flocks. Cannibalism Is An Essential Route Of Spreading The Infection.

The Fibrinous Caseous Exuate Accumilated In Wattles Sometimes Leads To Gangrene Of The Covering Skin.

Possibly Be Spread From Sinuses To Adjacent Air-Filled Skull Bones With Subsequent Necrosis And Onset Of Neurological Signs (Opisthotonus And Torticolis). The Diagnosis Is Made On The Basis Of Disease History, Clinical Signs, The Lesions And The Results Of Bacteriological Studies. Fowl Cholera Should Be Differentiated From Acute E. Coli Septicaemia, Erysipeloid, Fowl Typhoid Etc. The Immunization Of Birds At The Age Of 8 -12 Weeks Gives Very Promising Results. Many Antibiotics And Sulfonamides Could Lower Death Rate, But At Discontinuation Of The Treatment, The Disease Could Recur. Sulfonamides Are Appropriate For Treatment, But They Inhibit Egg-Laying.

Other Names

 avian cholera, fowl cholera, avian pasteurellosis 

Organism or Mechanism

It is caused by a gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod, bipolar bacteria,  Pasturella multocida, Pasteurella Aviancide. Variation in pathogenicity occurs between isolates.

Mode of Transmission

• Sources of infection include carrier birds and clinically diseased poultry that have died from the infection. Wild birds, rodents and cats can all be a source of infection. Spread from infection flocks to healthy flocks with equipment, feed bags and other fomites is possible.

 • Cats, wild birds and rodents can all act as carriers. Spread from bird to bird by contact. It is a stress disease occurring at point of lay and with seasonal change.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Laboratory isolation of the organism is diagnositic. Pasturella should be cultured on blood agar or meat infusion media. A lever impression smear stained with Wright’s stain will yield bipolar rods, which are diagnostic.

Peracute septicaemic disease in pullets and large swollen necrotic liver give a presumptive diagnosis.

Clinical findings vary greatly depending on the course of the disease. In acute cases, increased mortality is usually the first indication. Affected birds have swelling of the face or wattles, discharge from the nostrils, mouth and eyes which may become “cheesy”, laboured breathing and, in some cases, incoordination. The face and combs and wattles may become cyanotic (turn a bluish colour). Other symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, lameness, diarrheoa and ruffled feathers.

Chronic disease causes torticollis (retraction of the head and neck backwards), otitis (ear infection) emaciation, severe mortality, enlargement of wattles, combs, legs, footpads and wing joints and peritonitis.

Swollen sinuses and hocks, dehydration, respiratory distress, swollen joints, drop in egg production, fertility and hatchability can also occur.

Note: Need a quick disease diagnosis? Call the Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health on +61 3 9731 2275 for cost-effective rapid tests for a range of poultry diseases, including Fowl cholera.

Preventive Measures:

 • Purchase cholera free birds. 

• Prevent stress.

 • Practice good management.

 • Provide well-ventilated houses by judging the ventilation from the height at which it influences the birds, not necessarily from human height.

 • Prevent rodent infestation since rats are a major disease reservoir and a source of infection.

 • Reduce contact with cats and dogs. 

 • Vaccinate with a bacterin or a live vaccine. Sixteen serotypes have been demonstrated with limited cross-protection between serotypes. Serotypes 1, 3 and 4 are most common and found in most commercial vaccines.

Special note

Infected birds which recover become carriers. Relapse of the disease is common in times of stress such as weather change.

Management Treatments

• Isolate and dispose of flock.

• Leave housing vacant for 3 mos. 

• Vaccinate flocks following an outbreak and thoroughly disinfect the premises.

• This bacterium is susceptible to ordinary disinfectants, sunlight, drying, and heat.

• Fowl cholera can be treated with sulfonamides and antibiotics.

• Vaccines are available but give variable results.

• A new live attenuated vaccine is being developed in Australia and is hoped to be released soon. 

• A live vaccine should give more widespread protection than the individual inactivated types.

•The disease is best controlled by eradication. Prevention relies on good biosecurity practices, with good sanitation and rodent control and separation of birds by age with thorough cleanout between flocks.

Physical Treatments

 • Give pulverized mixture of 2oz. Capsicum, 2oz. Asafetida, 1 oz. Rhubarb, 6 oz.

 Spanish brown, and 2 oz. Flowers of sulphur at 1 tsp./2 quarts mash 2 X day

 • OTC (100-200 g/ton), Erythromycin, Sulfaquinoxaline and Ormetropin/Trimethoprim (0.125% + 0.0075%), and Sulfamethazine (0.49%) and Flumequine are effective.

Nutritional Treatments

 • Feed parch corn, or parched cracked corn, almost to coffee-color as a supplement.

Herbal Treatments

  

Homeopathic Treatments

 • Dissolve 2 dozen to 1/2 vial of Veratrum alb. in drinking water or in water used to moisten feed for prevention or treatment.

 • Also good are Arsenicum or Arsenicum iod. 3 (iodide of arsenic), mix 2 drams of pellets with 2 pounds of feed.

 • If hens have puffed faces, bright red color, and crouch give Nux vomica.

 • If swelling of joints of legs and lameness give--Rhus tox, Sulphur.

 • If difficult breathing and thick nasal discharge give--Calc flour+Hepar sulph, Kali bich.

 • If greenish colored diarrhea--Pulsatilla, Sulphur; or combination of Calc Phos30+Ferum30+Kali sulph30, 5ml each in 16 liters of water for 100 birds, 4 times a day for 7 days.