Occurrence: Worldwide. Species affected: Quail, broilers, chicken pullets, turkeys. Age affected: Young (6-14 weeks).

Causes: Gram positive, spore-forming, aerobic, non-motile bacterium- Clostridium colinum.

Effects: Often accompanies coccidiosis in broilers. Watery diarrhoea, ruffled feathers, dull, listless birds with increased thirst, emaciation and atrophy of pectoral muscles can occur. Mortality in quail is high.

Young, quail, broilers, chicken pullets and turkeys of 6-14 weeks are susceptible to this acute to chronic disease. The agent involved in the aetiology of this disease is clostridium colinum, which is spore-forming, gram-positive, aerobic and non-motile.

Vectors are faeces, soil and litter containing the bacteria.

It often accompanies coccidiosis in broilers.

High mortality in quail, watery diarrhoea, ruffled feathers, dull, listlessness, increased thirst, emaciation and atrophy of pectoral muscles can occur.

Yellow irregular ulcers on small intestine and caeca, hemorrhagic enteritis are seen. Congested lungs, enlarged haemorrhagic necrotic spleen, light yellow mottling of liver and crop filled with water may occur.

Gross lesions (ulcers on intestine and caeca) and bacterial isolation on tryptose – phosphate agar with yeast extract are a definitive diagnosis. Fluorescent antibody test will detect bacteria in organs.

It simulates coccidiosis, necrotic enteritis and histomoniasis.

Treatment and control:

Improved sanitation. Adding salt to the soil (500 lbs of salt/house) may kill spores. Raising birds on wire and/or feeding bacitracin at 50-100 g/t will prevent the disease.

NF-180 (50-100 g/t), strephomycin (60 g/t) and chlortetracycline, vitamins and minerals in water and/or lincomycin 2 g/t will reduce the signs. Remove dead birds and feed bacitracin (200 g/t)

Bacitracin is not allowed in most countries

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