Restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) of whole-cell DNA was used to determine possible sources of Pasteurella multocida for each outbreak of fowl cholera occurring in turkey flocks in eight commercial poultry companies in California from October 1988 to September 1989. Over this period, 179 isolates of P. multocida were obtained from dead turkeys in 80 meat and breeder flocks on 43 premises. P. multocida was isolated from wildlife on five premises. Isolates were characterized by subspecies, serotype, presence of plasmid DNA, and REA type. In 52 (65%) flocks, all isolates of P. multocida had the same REA pattern as the M9 live vaccine strain following digestion of DNA with the restriction enzyme SmaI. Field strains of P. multocida were obtained from 27 (34%) flocks, and one flock (1%) yielded both M9 and a field strain of the organism. REA of field strains of P. multocida revealed 17 different SmaI REA types. Based on matching SmaI REA types, potential sources of P. multocida were identified for 15 of the 28 flocks infected with field strains of the organism, and transmission between turkey premises was a possibility in only seven flocks.
Three California turkey premises that had repeated outbreaks of fowl cholera were studied for periods of 2 to 4 years. Using biochemical, serologic, plasmid DNA, and restriction endonuclease analyses of isolates of Pasteurella multocida from turkeys and wildlife on the premises, strains of the organism were found to be enzootic on two of the premises. On the third, a variety of strains of P. multocida were isolated from fowl cholera outbreak flocks.
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