S. G. IYER AND Z. A.
HASHMI
49
Clumping (agglutination) of bacteria
occurred in a minute or two if the blood
was from an infected fowl, otherwise the
mixture remained uniformly homogeneous.
This test is rather delicate, but is parti-
cularly useful under field conditions.
The birds examined were all mature
and most of them from breeding stock.
They belonged to 23 poultry farms, spread
over U. P., Bihar, Orissa, Mysore and
Punjab. These farms are all organized
and run on progressive lines (artificial
ncubation, etc.) and should thus cons-
tute the probable foci of infection if any
were present. In all, 3798 birds were
tested but none of them was found to be
infected. In addition, the Poultry Dis-
ease Officers of Mysore, C. P., Madras,
Bengal and Assam examined a further
number of 1219 birds. Out of these, only
11 birds from Mysore (Hebbal Farm)
gave doubtful reactions, the rest reacting
negatively. Bunyea and Macdonald [1941]
Holm, William, Callahan and Halversen
[1940] and Johnson and Pollard [1940]
described certain conditions leading to
false or non-specific reactions with this
test. Materials from the suspicious re-
-ctors were therefore submitted to more
detailed laboratory examination, but all
proved negative for S. pullorum infec-
tion.
These results suggest that pullorum
disease is of no great significance at pre-
sent to the poultry industry in this coun-
ry. This apparent freedom is probably
due to the absence of commercial hatch-
ries engaged in baby chick traffic. In
view of the fact that the disease has been
esponsible for enormous losses in other
arts of the world, it is essential that
very possible effort should be made to
ocate and stamp out any possible source
of infection, so as to prevent its spread
throughout the country. Careful vigilance
by the livestock departments with periodic
surveys of areas under their jurisdiction
and the education of all concerned in the
diagnosis and control of the disease should
therefore form an integral part of their
poultry improvement plans. It is also
suggested that all imported birds should
be tested prior to their inclusion in the
stock, so as to prevent the introduction of
the disease into the country.
SUMMARY
A total of 5017 adult fowls were tested
for pullorum disease by the quick ag-
glutination method with completely nega-
tive results, save in the case of 11 birds
which gave suspicious reactions. A more de-
tailed examination of these birds did not
show pullorum infection. The birds inclu-
ded in this survey were mostly from or-
ganized poultry farms, situated in U.P.,
Bihar, Orissa, Punjab, Mysore, C.P.,
Madras, Bengal and Assam. The survey
was therefore well-distributed and repre-
sentative.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors express appreciation for
the cooperation of Assistant Disease In-
vestigation Officers (Poultry) in this
survey.
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Holm, G. K., William, J. K; Callahan, B. F. and
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Johnson, E. P. and Pollard, M, (1940). J. infect. Dis.
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Naidu. P. M. N. (1938). Proc. Indian Sci. Congr. Abstr.
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