ERADICATION OF PULl^ORUM DISEASE 1930-31 



II 



Tested Fowl Other Than Chickens 



During the past four years, testing information has been collected to de- 

 termine what role fowl other than chickens play in eradicating piillorum dis- 

 ease. Based upon the testing results obtained thus far, one might conclude 

 that fowl other than chickens ])lay little or no part in pullorum disease erad- 

 ication in this State. During the past season among the 2,099 birds tested, 

 no positive reactors were detected. These birds were distributed on 29 

 premises. On 14 of these premises, chickens were tested and foimd infected. 

 Turkeys, ducks, guinea fowl, pigeons, geese, and starlings were tested. The 

 testing of such fowl will be continued during the coming season. It is hoped 

 that all poultrymen will cooperate in this survey by ])ermitting such birds 

 to be tested. 



Table 3. — Tested fowl other than chickens. 



Fowls 



Turkeys 

 Ducks 

 Guinea fowl 

 Pigeons 

 Geese 

 Starlings 

 Totals 



Consecutive Annual Testing Necessary to Determine Flock Status 



Eradication of the disease from a flock does not assure the owner that it 

 will remain free of infection. Success in preventing re-infection in a flock 

 depends upon the strict observance of sanitary and preventive measures. The 

 agglutination test is not a means of disease prevention but a means of dis- 

 ease detection. Testing results extending over a period of eleven years prove 

 that consecutive annual testing of flocks is essential in determining the flcok 

 status. This measure has been advocated for a number of years, but it was 

 not until the last few years that poultrymen began to realize its significance 

 and necessity in pullorum disease eradication. 



Table 4 shows that the number of flocks (253) tested for three or more 

 consecutive years is greater than the number of flocks tested for the first 

 time, intermittently, or for two consecutive years. The number of tests and 

 tested birds represented are also greater and the percentage of positive tests 

 is less than 0.90 per cent. The percentage (4.07) of positive tests in the in- 

 termittent group is almost as great as the percentage (4.78) of positive 

 tests in the group tested for the first time. Among the 328 negative flocks, 

 118 were partially tested. Partial flock testing is not regarded as a sound 

 procedure in determining the true status of a flock nor is it effective in 

 eradicating the disease from the premises or in maintaining a disease-free 

 flock. Some flock owners who practice partial testing apparently may be free 

 of danger for a time, but sooner or later they will realize their mistake, which 



