Pullorum Disease in Turkeys 



During the past few years an increasing number of cases of pullorum infec- 

 tion in turkeys has come to our attention. Along with the expansion in turkey 

 production by means of artificial methods which are similar to or have some- 

 thing in common with those used for hatching and raising chicks, puUorum- 

 disease outbreaks have also increased in number. Such outbreaks of pullorum 

 infection among turkeys in Massachusetts have in all cases occurred in young 

 poults. In most cases the origin of the infection could be traced to an incubator 

 or brooder house which was or had been occupied by pullorum-infected chicks. 

 Spontaneous cases of pullorum infection traceable to adult turkey breeding 

 stock have not been observed. 



Turkey raisers who carry on their own hatching and brooding operations 

 should exercise every possible precaution against introducing pullorum infec- 

 tion through these channels. Turkey eggs should not be incubated on the 

 same premises where eggs or stock that harbor the infection are found. Young 

 poults are readily susceptible to the disease, which behaves similarly to that 

 in young chicks. The poults which survive the outbreak may remain "carriers" 

 of the infection. These "carriers" exhibit an apparently normal physical con- 

 dition, but on necropsy S. pullorum, causative organism of the disease, may 

 be recovered. 



During the 1936-37 testing season, the breeders in one turkey flock were 

 tested for pullorum disease. Pullorum infection had been discovered in this 

 group of birds when they were young poults, and limited evidence suggested 

 that the infection originated at a custom hatchery. The breeders were tested 

 at approximately six months of age. The following is a brief summary of the 

 testing results. 



Date No. of Turkeys Percent 

 of Test Tested Reactors Remarks 



11/10/36 118 28.81 Bacteriological cultures were taken 



from eight birds of which three 



12/ 8/36 83* 0.00 



yielded S. pullorum. 



1/13/37 82 0.00 Sera of two birds exhibited a very 



weak reaction in the dilutions of 1:10 

 and 1:25. 



3/26/37 77 0.00 



* Four samples were unsatisfactory for the agglutination test. 



Among the 118 birds tested, 28.81 percent exhibited reactions which varied 

 in degree, with a maximum titre of 1:320. The sera of the majority of the 

 reactors completely agglutinated S. pullorum antigen in the 1 :25 dilution. 



Although it was impossible to obtain all the reacting birds for further study 

 and necropsy, the owner cooperated in making it possible to examine a few of 

 the reacting birds which had been dressed for the holiday trade. Cultures 

 were taken from eight birds and S. pullorum was isolated from three. In one 

 case the organism was recovered only from the peritoneum. The agglutination 

 titres of definitely known infected birds indicate that a low diagnostic dilution 

 is essential in detecting "carriers" of the disease. 



Results of subsequent tests point out that the initial test was effective in 

 eliminating the infected birds from the flock. No evidence of pullorum in- 

 fection has been obtained in progeny raised from the tested breeders. The 

 progeny of the tested stock will be subjected to the agglutination test in the 

 fall to determine their status concerning pullorum disease. 



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