Patsturella multocida in scavenging family chickens and ducks: carrier status, age susceptibility and transmission between species

Paul G Mbuthia (1) , Lucy W Njagi (2) , Philip Njeru Nyaga (2) , Uswege Mbonile Minga (3) , John Kamundia (4) , Lily C Bebora (5) , John Elmerdahl Olsen (6)

1 Department of veterinary pathology, microbiology and parasitology
2 Department of veterinary pathology, microbiology and parasitology
3 Registrar's Department
4 Plant Breeding Station
5 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiolgy and Parasitology
6 Department of Veterinary Pathology

Pasteurella multocida causes fowl cholera, a highly contagious and severe disease in chicken and water fowls. The disease is not well described in less intensive production systems, including scavenging family poultry production in developing countries. P. multocida was isolated from 25.9 % of healthy looking ducks and 6.2 % of chickens from free range family poultry farms and at slaughter slabs at marked. On experimental infection with 1.2 –2.0 x 108 organisms of the P. multocida type strain (NCTC 10322T), 12 week-old chickens expressed fowl cholera clinical signs significantly more times (372) than those of 4, 8 and 16 week chicken (173, 272, 187) and more signs were severe. In family ducks the 8 week-old birds expressed clinical signs significantly more times (188) than those of other age groups (117, 80, and 83) and severe signs were more frequent. P. multocida transmitted from seeder birds (n=12) to sentinel birds (n=30), which developed clinical signs, and in some cases lesions of fowl cholera and allowed bacterial re-isolation, whether infected ducks served as seeder for chicken or chicken served as seeder for ducks. This study has documented the occurrence of P. multocida among healthy-appearing family poultry in tropical setting, and demonstrated that age susceptibility is highest in 12 week old family chicken and 8 week old family ducks when challenged with a low virulent strain of P. multocida. It has further demonstrated that cross transmission of fowl cholera may happen between family ducks and chickens and vice versa.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Paul G Mbuthia, Lucy W Njagi, Philip Njeru Nyaga, Uswege Mbonile Minga, John Kamundia, et al.. Patsturella multocida in scavenging family chickens and ducks: carrier status, age susceptibility and transmission between species. Avian Pathology, 2008, 37 (01), pp.51-57. ⟨10.1080/03079450701784891⟩. ⟨hal-00540105⟩