Causative agent
- Escherichia coli (O1, O2, O78, and others)
Differential diagnosis
- Salmonella infection
- Mycoplasma infection
- Pasturella infection
- Staphylococcus infection
- IC
1. History taking
- Usually secondary infection with IBV, MG
- Stress acts as the predisposing factor
- One of the most serious threats to broiler
chicken flock between 4 and 5 weeks of age
with respiratory signs
- Omphalitis and septicemia in baby chicks
causing high mortality
2. Clinical examination
- High mortality of embryo and young chicks
through contamination of egg shell with
pathogenic E. coli from poultry house or
hatcher environment
- Poor flesh and weight loss
- Acute septicemia
- Sudden death
- Joint (synovitis) and bone (osteonyelitis)
infections with E. coli occur in young birds
3. Necropsy
- Variegated lesions depend on the type of
the diseases, affected organ and
the course of sickness
- Airsacculitis, pericarditis, perihepatitis
- Enteritis
- Synovitis and panophtalmitis
- Salpingitis in layer chickens and broiler
chicks
- Coligranuloma
- Omphalitis in chicks
|
4. Histopathological observation
- Fibrinous purulent serositis in pericardium, epicardium
hepatic caspule and gastrointestinal serosa
- Hemorrhagic enteritis
- Bacterial mass and necrotic foci in visceral organs
- Infiltration of granulocytes and monocytes and
hyperplasia of fibrocytes in liver and heart
- Purulent synovitis
- Purulent panophthalmitis
5. Bacterial isolation
Specimen : liver, lung, heart, air sac's swab
(Use only fresh carcasses)
Medium : blood agar (TSA) and MacConkey agar
| Table : Biochemical identification of Enterobacteriaceae |
| |
Indole |
MR |
VP |
Citrate |
H2S |
Lactose |
|
| Salmonella |
- |
+ |
- |
+ |
+ |
- |
| E. coli |
+ |
+ |
- |
- |
- |
+ |
| Klebsiella spp. |
- |
+ |
d |
+ |
- |
+ |
6. Serotyping
- Test at least 5 colonies from one specimen
- Slide agglutination test with pathogenic E. coli
O- antisera (O1, O2, O78 etc)
Control
- Administration of broad spectrum antibiotics and
nitrofuran for 4-5 days
- Purchase of day-old chicks from breeding flocks
free from Mycoplasma gallisepticum and other
predisposing factors
- Efficient cleaning, disinfection and fumigation in
hatcher and breeder
- Minimize stress factors such as ammonia fumes,
overcrowding and inadequate ventilation
- Minimize stress induced by vaccination
- Monitor drug sensitivity of E. coli from the disease
|
