Pasteurellosis and Other Respiratory Bacterial Infections

A number of distinct respiratory diseases are caused by small Gram-negative bacteria in commercial poultry. These diseases may have very similar clinical presentations. Many of the etiologic agents of bacterial respiratory diseases are classified as members of the family Pasteurellaceae but have in recent years been redesignated to new genera. This chapter includes four distinct diseases: fowl cholera caused by Pasteurella multocida, Riemerella anatipestifer infection, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection, and bordetellosis. Fowl cholera (avian cholera, avian pasteurellosis, or avian hemorrhagic septicemia) is a contagious disease affecting domesticated and wild birds. It usually appears as a septicemic disease associated with high morbidity and mortality, but chronic or benign conditions often occur. Riemerella anatipestifer infection is a contagious disease of domestic ducks, geese, turkeys, and various other domestic and wild birds. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection is a contagious disease of birds that causes respiratory distress, mortality, and decreased growth.