Review On Current Status Of Pullorum Disease In Ethiopia

Poultry represents important sources of food and income in the world in general and in Ethiopia in particular. However, many diseases and nutrition related disorders affect the poultry industry. Among this, Pullorum disease is widely distributed disease of fowl caused by salmonella pullorum. It is severe septicemia disease of domestic and wild fowl and remains an important disease for the poultry industry due to high morbidity and mortality. Disease can transmit both vertically and horizontally. The affected birds huddle under a heat source and are anorexic, depressed, dehydrated and have whitish fecal pasting around their vents. In mature birds pullorum disease is less severe or in apparent but characterized by decreased egg production, poor hatchability and fertility. Characteristic lesions include whitish nodes throughout the lungs and focal necrosis of liver and spleen. Tentative diagnosis mostly based on clinical signs, flock history, mortality and post mortem. Confirmatory diagnosis depends on the isolation of the organism and serological tests. Salmonella pullorum occasionally causes acute, self-limiting enteritis in people who eat massively contaminated food. Poultry meat is more popular in the consumer market due to easy digestibility and acceptance by the majority of people and it is also considered that poultry meat is still the primary cause of human food poisoning. Treatment of infected birds is required to decrease the rate of mortality and its spread in a flock but treated chicken remain carriers. Different salmonella serovars demonstrate varying levels of antimicrobial resistance. Successful control programs can be achieved by developing good hygiene and management together with routine serological tests and slaughter policy. Vaccination with effective vaccines to the layer or breeder flock is an important tool to control the pullorum disease. The disease is highly prevalent and cause huge economic losses due to high mortality, therefore, strict biosecurity measure should be conducted to prevent and control a disease.