The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-25
TUBERCULOSIS IN CHICKENS;
SYMPTOMS AND TRANSMISSIONS
Chickens Affected With This
Disease Should Be
Guaranteed.
(BY DR.. B. r. kAUPP,
Poultry Investigator and Patholoeist
for the United States Depart
ment Of AQrjc uIture,)

TOR the united states Depart
ment Of AgrcuIture.l
Fowls are heir to almost as many
diseases as we humans. II is not gen.
orally known that they contract tu-
berculosis, but they do. Fortunately, it
is an uncommon disease. 1t is, how
ever a highly contag ious ailment, and
for that reason poultry raisers should
get acquainted with its symptoms, and
learn how to prevent its spread.
In 1885 a German physician diScov-
cred that tuberculosis in humans was
due to a germ. Later similar disease
in cattle was found to be due to 4
germ closely resembling the first, and
further that the disease of cattle was
transmitted to hogs and chickens which
followed them in the barnyards. The
germ or bacillus of fowl tuberculosis is
a slender, shaped germ, which can
be stained and observed under the
microscope. 1t must be magnified at
least 1000 times to be visible to the
eye. This acid-fast germ causes dis
SoSN III ~" anu l'oSolpiS pth'l DiIuS.
from which can be isolated by labora-
tory methods, a similar organism to
that producing tuberculosis in persons
and cattle. 1t differs in minor details
and is considered as being another type
from the other two.
How Fowls Contract the Germ.
Like hogs, fowls often follow the
trail of cattle in the feed lot. picking
up undigested corn and other grains
Ii the cattle are afflicted with tuber-
culosis, the birds ire likely to receive
these virulent germs and contract the
disease. Hogs arc known to contract
tuberculosis in the same way and later
distribute the disease to others.
Naturally fowls afflicted with tubcr-
cular ulcers give off germs of the dis
ease, and as the habit of fowls is to
pick up their food from the ground, it
Is an easy matter for the disease to
spread throughout a flock.
Fortunately, tuberculosis is not a
very common disease and for that rca.
son very few breeders are familiar with
it. 1t is not generally known that a
bird may be afflicted with tuberculosis
and yet show no outward signs of the
disease. If such a bird is shipped in
crate or kept in Il pen, which crate
or pen is later used for other birds, the
new birds are likely to contract the
disease
Carton Birds Spread Disease.
Birds which have died Of the dis
ease, if their bodies are carclcssly
thrown around the premises are a con-
slant menace to other fowls Crows.
bu2zards and other carrion birds arc
apt to feast upon these bodies and still
further add to the danger. Some
states have laws fOrhddng the killing
OF buzzardS which should be repealed
1t IS proven fact that buzzards feast
upon animals dead of CONTAGIOUS dis
eases and then fly long distances
spreading the disease either through
their droppings or vomitus, or by
aiighting on other premises. Instead
of penalizng the killing of buzzards
those states should offer a bounty for
them. The moral of this tale is to be
careful and deeply bury all carcasses
preferably in lime, or better still. if pos.
sibI", burn them Immediately they are
found, Not only the bodies of birds
afflicted with contagious disease,
should he burned "r buried, but all ami
NAL matter should be SO treated.
Dogs cats, rats, mice and othcl
animals, even persons. serve to Sprcat
the disease The germs arc carried OF
the feet and in the. fur of these cro:,.
lures, and carried from ward to ward
sometimes spreading the contagIon 70
hundreds Of miles. This is one of TIT
reasons for a rigid quarantine agnns
all contagious diseases among animals
And quarantine regulations should in
Clude contagious diseases of birds,
The department of aCrjculturc cSti
mates that tho total annual loss O
poultry from diseases alone is IS, 500,
600, of which tuberculosis takes a Ger
tain toll Though it is an uncummo
disease, it is SO malignant that poultr
keepers must learn to recognize it, Hor
try it has been found to exist for wear,
even when rigid action WAS taken t
stamp it out BY keeping a close watc
We can keep this dangerous diseas
from making terrible inroadS on uu
f1ocks like it made on the dairy cattl
of our country. We must take Il fir
stand in stamping and keeping out thl
disease by acting as soon as it appear
even though it take some of our bes
birds. An adverse attitude in the cal
tie business was very costly in som
cases, and we should profit by thi
experience.
Insects Spread the Contagion.
Blood-sucking insects may be
source Of danger in transmitting IL
disease from bird to bird, since tt