Occurrence: Worldwide Species affected: Turkeys Age affected: Young

Causes: Bacterium- Salmonella arizona.

 

Effects: Same as for other Salmonella infections- Diarrhoea, lameness, somnolence (sleepiness), laboured breathing, blindness and mortality. Mortality up to 100%, peaking at 7-10 days. Tremors, convulsions and twisted necks may also be seen.

 

Detailed causes:

Arizonsis occurs in young turkeys and is caused by the gram negative, flagellate bacterium Salmonella Arizona. The disease is transmitted in the same way as other salmonella species, ie. from bird to bird and between farms. Common vectors include birds, rodents and sometimes reptiles. Spread via the transovarian route can also occur.

 

Special note

Not as common as paratyphoid.

 

Clinical signs:

Signs are the same as for other Salmonella. Opaque eyes (blindness), tremors, convulsions, and twisted necks may be seen.

 

Postmortem lesions

Lesions are the same as for Salmonella pullorum, which include bacteria septicaemia; peritonitis, and retained yolk sacs.

Congested (filled with blood) duodenum, mottled (white necrotic spots) liver, caseous plugs in caeca, and caseous air sacs can be seen.

 

Diagnosis:

The organisms must be cultured from post mortem lesions, egg yolk etc. on brilliant green agar for a definitive diagnosis.

Agglutination or ELISA tests using sera from breeders can confirm the presences of S. Arizona.

It simulates pullorum, E. coli and typhoid.

 

 

Treatment and control:

Prevention

Prevention is the same as for salmonella. Biosafety measures are a common requirement in many countries. Bacterin for turkey breeders prevents egg transmission. Egg and hatchery sanitation are important.

 

Breeders should be tested and those that are serologically positive should be slaughtered.

 

Vector control helps control spread of the organism.

 

Treatment

Treatments will reduce clinical problems, but birds will remain carriers. SQ and Ormetoprin in the water and furazolidone in the feed are effective treatments. Gentamicin and spectinomycin can be given to day-old-chicks by SQ injection.

 

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