48
A Note on Pullorum Disease Survey in India
In the batches from the goat nymphs
emerged after 17 to 24 day , most on 20
and 21 days, while in those from the hill
bull the nymphs emerged after 18 to 25
days.
IV Nymphal stage. On 25-8-38 about
100 nymphs were placed on a goat and
an equal number on a hill bull. They fed
on the goat for 6 to 12 days, most leaving
the host after seven and eight days. Nearly
half the number placed on the bull were
lost accidentally and of the rest most left
the host after eight days, but one individual
remained attached for 15 days. A total
of 153 adults from both groups emerged
after 28 to 34 days, comprising of 63 males
and 90 females.
V Adult stage. Observations on the
parasitic period of the adult stage were
not carried out in continuity of the above
experiments, but were made at a later date
only on goats. About 14 adults were
observed which dropped off as follows:
two on day eight, one on day nine, four on
day 10 and seven on day 12.
SUMMARY
Haemaphysalis bispinosa was reare
easily on goats and hill-bulls. The oviposi
tion period was 7 to 15 days and the perid
of survival of the female after oviposition
ceased was three to six days. The duration
of egg-stage was on an average 30 day
Larvae were fully engorged in 4 to
days. Nymphs remained attached for
to 12 days, in exceptional cases for 15 day
The parasitic period of the adult was from
8 to 12 days. The larval and nymph
periods (non-parasitic), counting from the
date of engorgement, were 17 to 25 and
to 34 days, respectively at 22°C. Of 15
adults, 63 were males and 90 females.
REFERENCES
Miller, D. (1922) N. Z. J. Agric. 24,1-7
Myers, J. G. (1923) N. Z. J. Agric. 27, 67-73
A NOTE ON PULLORUM DISEASE SURVEY IN INDIA
By S. G. IYER and Z. A. HASHMI, Poultry Research Section, Imperial Veterinary
Research Institute, Izatnagar
(Received for publication on 30 August. 1944)
As is well-known, bacillary white diar-
rhoea or more correctly 'pullorum
disease' has assumed serious proportions
in many countries, the increase in incidence
running parallel with the progress in
artificial incubation and baby chick traffic.
Cooper and Naik [1931], from an outbreak
in the United Provinces, isolated a
microorganism which they typed as
S. gallinarum. (S. pullorum is now
classed as a variant of S. gallinarum.)
Naidu [1938] reported its occurrence in
large number of fowls from Mysore state.
As the poultry industry is rapidly
developing in India and as a few farms
have actually started the production and
supply of artificially-hatched baby chicks,
an extensive súrvey of the country was
undertaken to find out the incidence of
this disease. State and Provincial
Poultry Disease Officers also cooperate
by undertaking similar surveys within
their areas.
EXPERIMENTAL
For the detection of pullorum-infecte
fowls the rapid whole-blood stained-antige
test, as described by Schaffer, Macdonld
Hall and Bunyea [1931] and used be
English and American workers, was em
ployed with slight modifications. Thre
authentic strains of S. pullorum, from the
Veterinary Laboratory of the Ministry of
Agriculture in England, were incorpora
ed in the antigen prepared for the test
A drop of blood from the wing vein
the snipped comb was mixed on a glas
plate with an equal quantity of the stan
dardized antigen (a thick, stained an
killed saline suspension of S. pullorum