The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-11
TURKEY P0ULTS
HAVE PULL0RUM

Examination has shown that a
high percentage of the turkeys a.
irving in the increasingly large
shipments of diseased poults to the
Poultry Disease Laboratory at
State College during the past sew
eral weeks had pullorum disease
caused by a germ called Salmon
ella pullorun. The increase here
| and elsewhere clearly indicates
that pullorum disease is rapidly
spreading through the turkey pop
ulation of the country.
As a consequence, H. c. Gauge--',
associate in bacteriology with the
Poultry Department of the Agri-
cultural Experiment Station, has
turned more attention to the study
Of this disease.
He has found, for example, that
the nature of pullorum disease in
turkeys appears to be very SINH
lar to that in chickens. Adult birds
that harbor the pullorum germ in
their tissues, and are therefore
known as "ch~onic carriers" lay
infected eggs. Some Of the infected
eggs hatch out infected poults,
which, in turn, infect the hatchery
compartment. Poults free from the
| disease at the time of hatch in
hale these germs. Thus, a compare
lively few poults which hatch out
of infected eggs are the initial
source of widespread infection in
the incubator.
Further spread of the disease can
| take place in the brooder house
where poults pick up the germ
present in the droppings passed by
infected poults. Gauger points out
| that the disease may also spread
slowly during the growing period
and among adult birds, but such
infection does not usually cause
mortality.
| 1t is believed that the infection
remains in some of the poults that
survive the disease and when these
| birds reach maturity they lay in
fected eggs, thus completing the
disease cycle.
Poult losses from pullorum d.
sease may range from slight to
heavy with mortality occurring
chiefly during the first four weeks.
Unfortunately, there is no medi-
cant with any practical value in
the treatment of infected poults.
Control measures for poult infec-
tons consist chiefly of frequent
cleaning and disinfecting of the
brooder house and equipment to
prevent the disease from spreading
to poults not previously infected.
AS in chickens, the chief method
of preventing pullorum disease is
through the detection and removal
from the breeding flock of birds
that are carriers" of the disease
and capable of laying infected
eggs.
This is accomplished through
blood-tests, Of which there are
several types. Much research has
been and is being done to deter
mine which type test will detect
most efficiently the breeders that
are chronic carriers of the disease.
At present, research findings indi-
cate that the slow or tube aggluti-
nation test is the best one.
However, the rapid, whole-blood
test, which is the official state test
for pullorum disease in chickens
has been used on turkeys, appar-
emily with some success. Since it
is much quicker and easier to an
ply than the tube agglutination test,
further studies are being made in
the hope that it will prove suffi-
GENTLY eff cient to be retained as
the official test. However, if re-
suits are not successful it will be
necessary for the official state
testing agency to apply the tube
agglutination test to turkey breed
erS.
At present, research is also be-
ing conducted on eggs laid by pull
forum carriers to determine to
what extent the pullorum germ is
present on the shell and in the egg
contents. To date, indications are