Bacteria isolations from broiler and layer chicks in zambia.

Hetron Mweemba Munang'Andu,Musso Munyeme,Geoffrey Munkombwe Muuka,Oliver Chibomba,Swithine Hameenda Kabilika

doi:10.1155/2012/520564

Abstract

Chick mortality (CM) is one of the major constraints to the expansion of the poultry industry in Zambia. Of the 2,829 avian disease cases submitted to the national diagnostic laboratory based at the Central Veterinary Research Institute in Lusaka between 1995 and 2007, 34.39% (973/2,829) were from CM cases. The disease accounted for 40.2% (218,787/544,903) mortality in the affected flocks with 89.6% (196,112/218,787) of the affected birds dying within seven days. Major bacteria species involved were Escherichia coli, Salmonella gallinarum, and Proteus species being isolated from 84.58%, 46.15%, and 26.93% of the reported CM cases (n = 973), respectively. Detection of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, and Salmonella dublin indicates that poultry has the potential of transmitting zoonotic pathogenic bacteria to humans. The proportion of Salmonella gallinarum reactors in the adult breeding stock was generally low (<0.5%) throughout the study period although its prevalence in CM cases was correlated (r = 0.68, P < 0.011) with seroprevalence of the same pathogen in the adult breeding stock. Given that the disease accounts for a large proportion of the avian diseases in Zambia as shown in the present study (34.39%, n = 2,829), it is imperative that an effective disease control strategy aimed at reducing its occurrence should be developed.

Highlights

Poultry production has steadily expanded in Zambia from an estimate of 16 million birds in 2000 to about 26 million by2008
The major constraint to the expansion of the poultry industry in Zambia is the presence of diseases which include chick mortality (CM) which is characterized by omphalitis and yolk sac retention occurring during the first few days after hatching
In the present study we reviewed the bacteria species associated with CM in Zambia for the period 1996 to 2008 and factors responsible for the persistence of the disease are highlighted

Summary

Introduction

Environmental sampling of processing plants for adult birds at point of sale has been studied [8]. Bacteria isolations from these studies indicate that transmission from adult birds to eggs could be responsible for the transmission of bacteria pathogens within flocks [9]. In the present study we reviewed the bacteria species associated with CM in Zambia for the period 1996 to 2008 and factors responsible for the persistence of the disease are highlighted. The idea was to identify the pathogens associated with chick mortality in order to obtain baseline information that would help veterinarians develop disease control strategies that would help reduce occurrence of the disease in the poultry industry. The significance of poultry as a source of zoonoses transmissible to humans and the importance of improving the control of avian diseases is discussed

Methods and Materials

Results

Discussion