New Duck Disease

NEW DUCK DISEASE
(Riemerella anatipestifer Infection in Poultry, Infectious Serositis)
Riemerella anatipestifer
- a bacterial pathogen that affects ducklings, gosling, turkeys, and other fowl.
Riemerella anatipestifer (formerly Pasteurella anatipestifer) is a highly contagious, widely
distributed bacterial pathogen that primarily affects
 young ducklings
 less frequently, older developer-aged
 rarely, breeder-aged ducks, as well as turkeys and geese.
* Other waterfowl, chickens, and pheasants occasionally may be affected. In commercial

duck and geese operations, mortality can be significant. Surviving ducklings may grow
poorly and be condemned at time of slaughter.
ETIOLOGY AND TRANSMISSION

Riemerella anatipestifer :
 gram-negative
 nonsporulating
 catalase and oxidase positive
 nonmotile.
 grows microaerophilically in enriched media.
 Given that R. anatipestifer possesses few characteristic phenotypic properties, isolation
and identification procedures should be polyphasic
 The epidemiology and pathogenesis of R. anatipestifer infection are poorly understood,
and no definitive virulence factors are readily identified for all serotypes at this time.
 Ducks are believed to be infected from the environment by the Ducks are believed to be
infected from the environment by the respiratory route or when R anatipestifer is
introduced into lesions of the webbed foot.
 Turkeys may be infected by injuries or by the respiratory route when another pathogen
disrupts the respiratory epithelium.
 Once the infection is established on a farm, it frequently becomes endemic.
 It is common for multiple serotypes to be present on a single facility, with co-infections
possible.
 Use of bacterins or vaccines for specific serotypes may not provide cross-protection
from serotypes not included in these biologics.
CLINICAL FINDINGS AND LESIONS

Clinical signs of Riemerella anatipestifer infection usually develop after an incubation period of
2–5 days.
Affected ducklings, usually 1–7 weeks old, often have:
1) ocular and nasal discharges
2) mild coughing and sneezing
3) tremors of the head and neck
4) depression
5) incoordination progressing to obtundation and death.
 In typical cases, affected ducklings in the terminal stages of disease lie on their backs,
paddling their legs. Stunting may occur in survivors, with scarring of air sacs and the
pericardium resulting in condemnation at slaughter.
 Necrotic dermatitis on the lower back or around the vent may also occur. Fibrinous
exudate in the pericardial cavity and over the surface of the liver is the most
characteristic lesion.
 Fibrinous airsacculitis is common, and infection of the CNS can result in fibrinous
meningitis. The spleen and liver may be swollen. Pneumonia may occur.
Mortality in ducks is usually 2%–50%. a high proportion.of affected birds develop

mucopurulent or caseous salpingitis. affected breeding stock should be slaughtered.
Affected turkeys, usually 5–15 weeks old, often exhibit:
1) dyspnea,
2) droopiness,
3) hunched back,
4) lameness,
5) and a twisted neck.
Fibrinous pericarditis and epicarditis are the most pronounced lesions. There may also be
fibrinous perihepatitis, airsacculitis, and purulent synovitis. Osteomyelitis, meningitis, and focal
pneumonia occur occasionally. Mortality in turkeys is 5%–60%, and rates of condemnations are
in range.
DIAGNOSIS
 Clinical findings, age of disease onset, gross findings, and aerobic culture are definitive
for most field infections.
 Brain, heart, liver, spleen, air sac, and lung are preferred organs to harvest samples for
culture testing (listed in order of importance for sampling).
 Serotyping is typically performed for vaccine and bacterin selection or epidemiological
studies.
 Diagnosis of Riemerella anatipestifer is based on typical CNS signs (if present), lesions,
and isolation and identification of the causative organism (using traditional biochemical
characterization). Other diseases (eg, colibacillosis, salmonellosis, Pasteurella
multocida infection, and chlamydiosis) may produce similar lesions.
 Tryptic soy or chocolate agar medium is recommended for isolation, although blood
agar is also used, with incubation at 37°C under 5% carbon dioxide or, less optimally,
in a candle jar.
 Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
(MALDI-TOF MS) has been used successfully for identification and is quickly becoming
the preferred diagnostic method for most larger laboratories.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
 Strict biosecurity should be maintained, with regular cleaning and disinfection of
facilities.
 Appropriate vaccines or bacterins (guided by serotyping or whole genomic sequencing)
should be administered in naive ducklings and breeder birds on most commercial duck
and goose farms.
 All-in/all-out management systems should be used when applicable and down time
should be allotted between flocks.
 Careful management practices are important for prevention of Riemerella
anatipestifer infection.
 A high level of biosecurity is essential.
 Cleaning and disinfection between flocks and separation of flocks on multiple-age farms
are other factors of major importance.
 Rigid sanitation and depopulation are necessary for elimination of the disease on
endemically infected farms. Allowing facilities to dry out and be exposed to hot dry air
can reduce pathogen burdens on some facilities.
 A bacterin and a live vaccine, both including the three most common serotypes of R
anatipestifer (ie, serotypes 1, 2, and 5), are available for use in ducks and naive
ducklings, respectively.
 Autogenous bacterins for other serotypes are available from multiple vaccine makers.
 An autogenous oil-emulsion bacterin can be used in turkeys. Breeder ducks can be
vaccinated with a bacterin or live vaccine to provide protection to the ducklings that
may last until duckings are 2–3 weeks old.
 Sulfaquinoxaline or a combination of penicillin and streptomycin can be used for
initial treatment; however, antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be performed
because multidrug-resistant strains are becoming more prevalent due to antimicrobial
use and development of antimicrobial gene resistance.
 Enrofloxacin is highly effective in preventing death in ducklings when administered in
the drinking water; however, use of quinolones or most other antimicrobials in poultry
operations is not allowed in many countries.

New Duck Disease

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

New Duck Disease

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

New Duck Disease

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

NEW DUCK DISEASE

(Riemerella anatipestifer Infection in Poultry, Infectious Serositis)

* Other waterfowl, chickens, and pheasants occasionally may be affected. In commercial

ETIOLOGY AND TRANSMISSION

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND LESIONS

Mortality in ducks is usually 2%–50%. a high proportion.of affected birds develop

You might also like