26
An outbreak of Tuberclosis in Ducks
laminae, more accentuated on the edge in the case of the buffalo than in that of
the cow. It was usual to find a big lesion in the centre and other smaller satellites
on the priphery. This arrangement was generally not seen in bovines. A strain of
the organism from the lesions was isolated by Mr L. Sahai and was found to be of
the bovine type.
SUMMARY
An account of the reaction to be tuberculin test in buffaloes is described. It is
more pronounced in buffaloes than in cows ; the oedema is much more extensive.
The lesions in the buffalo differ from those in the cow they are creamy white and not
yellowish. The nature of the caseation also differs; it is arranged in concentric layers.
Calcification, which is accentuated at edges, is not so marked but there is an increased
tendency towards capsulation. The incidence of tuberculosis in buffaloes in some farms
and villages is
given.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thanks are due to Mr L. Sahai, M.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., Imperial Veterinary Research
Institute, for his guidance.
REFERNCES
Robinson, E. M. (1914). Onderstepoort J. vet. Sci. 19, 23
Naik, R. N. (1932). Indian J. vet. Sci. 2, 53
Soparker, M. B. (1925). Indian J. medical Res. 13, 755
Soparker, M. B. and Dhillon, S. C. S. (1931). Proc. Indian Sci. Cong. 353
AN OUTBREAK OF TUBERCULOSIS IN DUCKS
By S. L. ZARGAR, G.B.V.C., Assistant Investigation Officer (Poultry), Central
Provinces and Berar, Nagpur
(Recefved for publication 10 December 1945)
(With Plate IV)
W E owe our earlier knowledge of tuberculosis in ducks to Christien, Germain and
Raymond [1923], Volker [1924], Eber [1925], Klimmer [1930] and Feldman [1938].
These authors encountered isolated cases. An outbreak of tuberculosis was
described by Gordon, Garside, Dobson, etc., [1940, 1941]. But our knowledge of this
disease in ducks in India is very limited. Naidu [1943], while giving a list of specimens
collected, just mentions a case in which the liver of a duck showed tubercular nodules.
Mohteda [1944], however, records two cases of generalized tuberculosis in goose. In
fact, tuberculosis has always been regarded as rare in ducks in this country and this
note is just to put on record the observations made in an outbreak of tuberculosis in a
flock of about 1000 ducks kept at the Military Duck Farm, Nagpur
The subject under reference assumes importance and invites more attention for
the simple reason that about 500 ducks of the above flock were purchased by contractors
from typical Indian villages and immediately after their arrival at Nagpur, cases of
generalized tuberculosis were noticed in an appreciable number among very young
ducks.
Furthermore, even to-day our knowledge regarding
tuberculin testing of
ducks is imperfect and unhelpful and we do not yet know how to eradicate the disease
from an infected flock.
During the past ten months the various aspects of the disease were studied in the
affected flock and the observations are summarized below.
Symptoms. The main signs observed in infected ducks, while alive, were progressive
emaciation, anaemia and lameness. Affected ducks had, in the later stages of the disease,
very dull look and showed no inclination to move. They usually lagged behind the flock
and were very light Invariably breast muscles were completely atrophied with
corresponding prominence of the sternum which was very evident on handling the
birds. The average weight of ducks dying consequent to this infection was 1.85 lb.,
whereas the average weight of a duck in the flock is about 3.85 lb.
Post-mortem lesions. So far, 61 carcasses of ducks have been examined and