faction. Also, appreciation should be extended to the County Extension Service 

 and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture for the valuable assistance given 

 in the eradication of these flock infections. 



Credit should also be given to the diagnostic laboratories at Waltham and 

 Amherst for identifying these outbreaks. 



It should be mentioned that a total of 977 chickens was tested at the 1958 

 Boston Poultry Show which revealed six reactors originating from two different 

 premises in Massachusetts. 



COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS 



Filing Applications for Testing: The laboratory is experiencing increasing 

 difificulty with flock owners not returning their applications for testing. At the 

 beginning of each season, flock owners who received testing service the previous 

 season are sent application cards for the next year's work. Applications are pro- 

 cessed in the order that they are received from the owners. Flock owners who delay 

 or fail to return their cards cannot expect immediate testing service. It should be 

 emphasized that the testing load has to be distributed over several months instead 

 of two or three months, because it is practically impossible to employ personnel 

 for only a few months. Furthermore, all breeding flocks should be tested as soon 

 as the birds are five months of age, provided the laboratory is in a position to do so. 



Increased Efforts Toward Pullorum Disease Eradication: The testing 

 results that have been accumulated over the years and supported by the findings 

 in the diagnostic laboratories definitely reveal that pullorum disease can be eradi- 

 cated from our breeding flocks. However, our efforts should be projected beyond 

 the breeding flocks which will include the eradication of all foci of infection wherever 

 they may be found. Appropriate and eff"ective measures for eradication should be 

 devised and adopted. The following recommendations, which have been approved 

 by the Massachusetts Federation of Poultry Associations, may serve as a basis for 

 a general eradication program. 



I. Handling of flocks with acute outbreaks: 



A. Affected chicks should be destroyed or reared for broilers. If early 

 liquidation is not possible, then infection should be eliminated through 

 short interval retesting. 



B. In adult flocks special precautionary measures should be instituted 

 to prevent the disease from spreading within the flock or to other flocks. 



1. Flocks in the acute stage of the disease should not be sold. 



2. Affected pens should be isolated if possible. 



3. Medication should be given under the supervision of competent 

 persons. 



4. A{ter the disease has subsided the flock should either be sold or 

 tested at short intervals. 



C. The use of drugs in an acute outbreak should be exercised only upon 

 recommendation by competent persons. 



II. Handling of infected tested breeding flocks: 



A. Flock owners desiring ofiicial recognition are compelled to eradicate 

 the disease from their flocks. 



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