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Fowl Typhoid (Salmonella gallinarum) Pathology & Control

Veterinary manual covering Salmonella gallinarum septicemia, bronze metallic liver, green-yellow diarrhea, 9R vaccine, and PT testing.

Scientific Overview

Fowl Typhoid is a severe septicaemic bacterial disease of poultry caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum. Affecting both young chicks and adult chickens, Fowl Typhoid causes high mortality, bronze metallic liver discoloration, and greenish diarrhea, posing a significant risk to commercial egg layer and breeder farms.

Etiology & Salmonella gallinarum Characteristics

Salmonella gallinarum is defined as a non-motile, host-adapted Gram-negative enterobacterium specific to avian species.

Transmission occurs via vertical transmission in eggs or horizontal transmission through ingestion of feed, water, or litter contaminated by infected bird droppings.

Pathognomonic Lesions: Bronze Liver & Green Diarrhea

Necropsy lesions include:

  • Bronze Metallic Liver: Enlarged liver exhibiting a characteristic greenish-bronze metallic sheen upon exposure to air.
  • Greenish-Yellow Diarrhea: Severe enteritis leading to profuse watery yellow-green droppings and vent staining.
  • Splenomegaly & Fibrous Peritonitis: Spleen and kidneys are dark and enlarged, with pinpoint necrotic foci.

Control: Live 9R Vaccine & Pullorum-Typhoid Testing

Control relies on maintaining Pullorum-Typhoid Clean breeder status through whole-blood plate agglutination testing. In endemic areas, commercial layer pullets are immunized using the live rough 9R Salmonella gallinarum strain vaccine between 6 and 8 weeks of age.

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Fowl Typhoid (Salmonella gallinarum) Pathology & Control — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Pullorum Disease and Fowl Typhoid? expand_more
Pullorum (Salmonella pullorum) primarily causes high mortality in chicks under 3 weeks of age, whereas Fowl Typhoid (Salmonella gallinarum) causes acute septicaemia and high mortality in both chicks and mature adult birds.
Why does the liver turn bronze in Fowl Typhoid? expand_more
Hepatic necrosis combined with bile stasis causes the enlarged liver to oxidize to a bronze metallic green color when exposed to air during post-mortem examination.
What vaccine protects against Fowl Typhoid? expand_more
The live 9R Salmonella gallinarum vaccine administered subcutaneous or eye drop to pullets at 6-8 weeks of age.
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Related Pathologies & Differential Diagnosis

Differential diagnostic screening: Cross-reference clinical lesions and flock symptoms against these closely associated avian pathologies:

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Scientific Literature

  • WOAH Terrestrial Manual (Fowl Typhoid and Pullorum Disease).
  • Diseases of Poultry, 14th Edition (David E. Swayne et al., 2020).