Causes: Rod-shaped gram negative bacteria- Salmonella gallinarum.

Effects: Elevated temperature to 44-45ºC (109-111ºF), pale combs and wattles, shrunken combs, greenish-yellow diarrhoea, depression and/or anaemia.

All birds, especially young adults and mature birds are susceptible to this acute to chronic disease.

The causative agent is Salmonella gallinarum, a rod-shaped bacterium which produces no spore or capsule.

It is spread by biological vectors and through the egg. The incubation period is 4-5 days.

Contaminated feed and H2O, fomites (trucks, workers and equipment etc), will transmit the organism. Fomites are inanimate objects which can carry infectious organisms and spread disease.

The organism is species specific (occurs in birds only).

Horizontal spread occurs from bird to bird

It has been eradicated from most commercial poultry flocks, but is still common in backyard flocks.

Birds have elevated temperature 109-111oF (44-45oC), pale combs and wattles, shrunken combs, greenish-yellow diarrhoea, depression, and/or anaemia.

Birds have bronze liver and grey foci in lungs and gizzard.

Congested breast muscle, enteritis often with ulceration, mottled swollen spleens and kidney and thin watery blood are often seen.

Necrotic foci on the liver and heart, misshape rupture ovaries and peritonitis can occur.

Laboratory (necropsy, serology, microbial isolation and identification) monitoring is needed for a definitive diagnosis. Culture Salmonella and determine antibiotic sensitivity. It simulates paratyphoid, pullorum and cholera E. coli.

• Control vectors
• Test breeders for positive serum
• Destroy positive breeders
• Pellet feeds
• Use chlorine in the water
• Vaccines from non pathogenic S. gallinarum are available

Neomycin or sulfaquinoxaline.

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