QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONCERNING 

 PULLORUM DISEASE 



By H. Van Roekel,' Chief of Laboratory, 

 Poultry Disease Control 



INTRODUCTION 



Pullorum disease is of great concern to tlie poultry industry. In order^to assist 

 the Massachusetts poultrymen in combating pullorum infection, this question 

 and answer bulletin has been prepared, which deals with the practical aspects of 

 the nature, eradication, and prevention of the disease. 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE DISEASE 



1. When was pullorum disease discovered? This disease was first reported 

 late in the nineteenth century. In 1899, Rettger isolated the causative organism 

 from infected chicks. The organism was first named Bacterium pullorum and 

 the disease was called bacillary white diarrhea. In 1925, the name of the organism 

 was changed to Salmonella pullorum. In 1928, the name bacillary white diarrhea 

 was changed to pullorum disease. 



2. What is the geographical distribution of the disease? Reports of the 

 disease have come to ourattention from Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, England, 

 Continental Europe, South America, and every state in the United States. The 

 disease is likely to exist wherever domestic poultry is raised. 



NATURE AND DISSEMINATION OF THE DISEASE 



3. What is the cause of pullorum disease? The cause is an infectious agent, 

 a microscopic organism known as Salmonella pullorum. 



4. How does the disease affect mature birds? In mature birds the disease 

 usually appears in a chronic form. Infected birds as a rule can not be differen- 

 tiated from the noninfected by physical examination. While the organism may 

 localize in various parts of the body, it is most frequently found in the ovary. 

 The organism has been recovered from the abdominal cysts, digital cushion of 

 the foot, heart sac, intestinal contents, liver, lungs, nasal passages, ovar}', remnant 

 yolk stalk, spleen, tendon sheaths, and testicles. Localized infections may break 

 down sometimes and liberate the organism into the blood stream, which may 

 lead to death of the bird. This seems to occur particularly when some debilitating 

 process is present. Infected mature birds suffer a higher death rate than do 

 noninfected. Occasionally, sporadic outbreaks of an acute form are observed in 

 flocks and the disease follows a definite course, accompanied by a high'mortality. 



5. Can the disease spread among adult birds? Yes. Noninfected mature 

 birds may contract the disease when placed in direct or indirect contact with 

 infected birds. The rate of spread is influenced by the condition of the flock and 

 type of management, but generally speaking it appears to be slow. In acute 

 outbreaks the infection may spread rapidh-. 



'Assisted by K. L. Bullis. O. S. Flint, and Miriam K. Clarke. Appreciation is extended to Dr. 

 John B. Lentz, Head of the Department of Veterinary Science, for the suggestions made con- 

 cerning this bulletin. 



