Recurrent fowl typhoid: Case reports

Abstract

Recurrent outbreaks of fowl typhoid (FT) in two poultry farms were reported. A total of 160 and 10 live birds from a flock of 7000 and 400 layers from commercial and backyard farms, respectively, with a history of sudden mortality were submitted to the Poultry Health Clinic of Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University (VTH ABU), Zaria, Nigeria, for diagnosis [May 2007]. The clinical signs (CS) recorded were yellowish diarrhoea, pale combs and wattles, low but persistent mortality with either a severely decreased or normal egg production. The two farms were heavily infested with rats. The postmortem (PM) lesions observed were enlarged, friable and discoloured liver (bronze or greenish), enlarged and mottled spleen with necrotic foci, misshapened and pedunculated ovarian follicles. Aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones were administered prior to presentation. Salmonella gallinarum and Escherichia coli were consistently isolated from the livers. The birds were treated with Quintox (norfloxacin, 200 mg/ml) for 7 days, chloramphenicol for 5 days, furaltadone for 5 days and Conflox (enrofloxacin) for 5 days. The farmers were advised to institute rat control programmes to reduce the chances of spread of the disease by contaminated rats. To reduce the chances of infection by contaminated water, the farmers were advised to sanitize the drinking water of the birds. It was concluded TF could cause serious economic losses to poultry farmers, and the disease could be effectively controlled by drug treatment followed by culling of affected birds.