| dc.description.abstract | P. multocida
causes peracute, a
cute and chronic fowl cholera in
poultry. Twenty chickens
and ducks were inoculated int
ra
-
tracheally with 0.5 ml of 10
8
colony forming units of
laboratory maintained str
ain NCTC 10322
T
of
P. multocida,
10 of which were
immnunosuppressed with dexamethasone 4 mg/kg body weight for 6 days prior to
infection. 15 control chickens or ducks were
given 0.5 ml of brain heart infu
sion broth, 5 of
which were similarly immunosuppress
ed. All the birds were observed for clinical signs of
fowl cholera for 14 days post
-
infection.
Both indigenous chickens and ducks in the immunosuppressed groups showed
lower clinical
signs compared t
o the non
-
immunosuppressed
birds. No clinical signs were
observed in all
control birds. However, infected birds manifested anorexia, depression, ruffled feathers,
nasal discharges, dyspnoea, ataxia, nervous tics, cyanosis, diarrhea and mucoid mouth
discharges. In each bird under observation, the signs recurred s
ingly or in combination, at
the time of observation.
Ataxia, nervous tics and head scratching are additional signs of fowl cholera hereby reported
in indigenous chickens and ducks for the first time. There were less clinical signs observed in
the immunosup
pressed birds and this may, under field conditions, create problems in the
detection and clinical diagnosis of fowl cholera | en |
