Pathogenicity of <em>Salmonella</em> Paratyphi A in Pullets

Abstract

The pathogenicity of Salmonella Paratyphi A isolated at Debiwise Poultry Farm during a fulminating outbreak was tested. Twenty 16-week-old pullets were inoculated orally with 0.5 ml of 1.3 x 108 CFU/bird Salmonella Paratyphi A, while 20 others of the same age served as uninfected control. By the fourth day postinoculation (p.i.) dullness, ruffled and unkempt feathers, somnolence, yellowish- green diarrhea, decreased water and feed consumption were observed in the infected birds; mortality was 95% by day 16 p.i. Remarkable pathological lesions were recorded between days 7 and 14 p.i. The liver was moderately enlarged, with multiple necrotic foci, and dark brown to bronze coloration. The kidneys were swollen, with widespread focal pale necrotic areas, while the spleen was slightly enlarged. Histopathologically, the proventriculus showed focal glandular necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and moderate perivascular leucocytic infiltration. There was mucosal hemorrhage, matting of intestinal villi with reduction of villous height and presence of epithelial debris in the lumen with increased leucocytic infiltration in the lamina propriae. The liver showed moderate, diffuse congestion of the sinusoid and central veins, as well as multiple foci of necrosis of hepatocytes, mononuclear infiltration and perivascular cellular infiltration. There was diffuse lymphoid depletion in the nodule and around the splenic arterioles as well as throughout the parenchyma. The kidneys were congested with tubular epithelial necrosis characterized by karyorrhexis of the nuclei. The organism was recovered from the liver, spleen, heart, heart blood and bone marrow of infected birds. No clinical sign or gross lesion or pathogen was observed in the negative control.

Keywords

• Poulet
• Salmonella Paratyphi A
• Pouvoir pathogène
• Nigeria