Pullorum disease and fowl typhoid—new thoughts on old diseases: a review

Abstract

Fowl typhoid and pullorum disease are two distinct septicaemic diseases largely specific to avian species and caused by Salmonella Gallinarum and Salmonella Pullorum, respectively. They were first described more than one century ago. Since their discovery, many efforts have been made to control and prevent their occurrence in commercial farming of birds. However, they remain a serious economic problem to livestock in countries where measures of control are not efficient or in those where the climatic conditions favour the environmental spread of these microorganisms. During the past 15 to 20 years there has been an explosion of genetic and immunological information on the biology of these two organisms, which is beginning to contribute to a better understanding of the organisms and their interaction with the host. However, it is not enough simply to understand the pathology in greater and greater detail. What is needed, in addition to this increase in basic knowledge, is creative thinking to challenge existing paradigms and to develop really novel approaches to infection control.

Outbreaks of salmonellosis in three different poultry farms of Kerala, India

“…Barrow et al opined that Salmonella remain as a serious economic problem to livestock in countries where measures of control are not efficient or in those where the climatic conditions favour the environmental spread of these microorganisms [1] . India qualifies for both of the above descriptions.…”

“…All the three isolates were revealed to be Salmonella gallinarum and were resistant to at least three of the antimicrobial agents tested. [1] . Kumar et al reported that out of 4672 isolates from different parts of India, 118 (6.5%) were S. gallinarum [2] .…”

ERIC-PCR genotyping of field isolates ofSalmonella entericasubsp.entericaserovar Gallinarum biovars Gallinarum and Pullorum

“…FT and PD are diseases that affect avian species and cause considerable economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide (Barrow & Freitas Neto, 2011). Both illnesses are considered under control in many developed countries (OIE, 2012).…”

“…Salmonella Pullorum (SP) triggers an illness, pullorum disease (PD), a severe systemic disease that generally results in high mortality only in young birds (Barrow & Freitas Neto, 2011;OIE, 2012). Some of the birds that recover from PD, or immunocompetent adult birds which generally do not present clinical disease, may develop a carrier state and bacteria may be thus transmitted vertically at sexual maturity (Berchieri Junior et al, 2001;Shivaprasad & Barrow, 2008).…”

Salmonella spp. in poultry: a constant challenge and new insights

“…However, among poultry, they cause septicemic fowl typhoid and pullorum disease (respectively) with high mortality and morbidity. Strict control programs using serological tests and elimination of positive birds has lead to the eradication of diseases from commercial poultry in the United States of America, Canada and most of Western Europe, although outbreaks occasionally occur (Barrow and Freitas Neto, 2011).…”