PULLORUM DISEASE 11 



15. — Can the disease in young chicks be accurately diagnosed with- 

 out bacteriological examination? No. The symptoms and lesions are neither 

 characteristic nor sjiecific of pvillorum disease alone. 



16. — Why is an accurate diagnosis important? An accurate diagnosis 

 will make it possible for the owner to follow proper eradication plans. An in- 

 accurate diagnosis of pullorum disease may be responsible for unwarranted 

 efforts and expenditures or cause further dissemination of the disease and delay 

 eradication. One must recognize that for infected and non-infected flocks the 

 plans of management should not be the same in order to obtain effective and 

 profitable results. 



17. — Where may chicks be sent for diagnosis? Massachusetts flock 

 owners may submit chicks to the Department of \'eterinary Science, Massa- 

 chusetts State College, Amherst, Mass. 



18. — How should diseased chicks be submitted to the laboratory? Five 

 typical specimens affected with the disease, freshly killed and chilled (to retard 

 decomposition) should be packed in a suitable container, well insulated, and 

 placed in the mail so as to permit arrival in the shortest possible time. 



19. — Does the disease spread among chicks? Yes. The disease may 

 spread among chicks in the incubator, chick box, and brooder. In the incubator 

 the chick may be infected by inhaling or eating contaminated material. In the 

 chick box and brooder the spread occurs largely through the digestive tract by 

 eating or pecking contaminated droppings, litter, feed, and water. 



20. — How may infection be introduced into the chick flock? The 

 purchase of infective eggs or stock, custom hatching for infected flocks, having 

 eggs hatched where infection exists, feeding of infective eggs, using contaminated 

 equipment (sacks, chick boxes, egg crates, etc.) and contact with infected adult 

 stock, are means of introducing infection into a chick flock. 



21. — Can persons spread the disease? Yes. The caretaker may spread 

 the disease in tlie handling and feetling of the chicks. Contaminated droppings, 

 litter, and feed may be carried from infected chicks to the non-infected chicks. 

 The possibility of a person carrying infection from one farm to another appears 

 to be rather remote, unless he carries with him contaminated material which 

 might be capable of infecting chicks. To safeguard against this it is advisable to 

 prohibit visitors from entering the egg room, incubator room, and brooder houses . 



22. — Are all birds equally susceptible? No. Artificial exposures have 

 shown that there is a variation in the degree of susceptibility to the disease among 

 both chicks and adults. 



23. — Do certain breeds appear to be less susceptible? Opinion has 

 been expressed that the lighter lareeds appear to be less susceptible. However, 

 testing records show that heavy infection has been observed in flocks of all 

 common breeds. 



24. — Are fowl other than chickens susceptible? Natural infection has 

 been reported among turkeys, pheasants, sparrows, bull-finch, goslings, and duck- 

 lings. Artificial infection has been produced in pheasants, guinea fowl, pigeons, 

 canary birds, and sparrows. 



25. — Are mammals susceptible to the disease? (!uinea pigs, mice, rats, 

 cats, and especially rabbits are suscej^tible to artificial infection. Natural infec- 

 tion in rabbits has been reported. 



26. — Is man susceptible to the disease? The disease has not been reported 

 in man as a result either of eating infective eggs or of handling infected stock. 



