This archive report was first published on 14 September 2019.
On a recent visit to a poultry farm, I was called upon to investigate a disease outbreak that had been ongoing for 35 days. The symptoms were clear: the chickens were producing watery droppings, a condition that had left the farm manager, Bonnie, stumped.
Fortunately, Bonnie had been keeping me updated on the situation through WhatsApp, and I was able to get a sense of the progress being made. 'The birds have a big improvement,' he wrote. 'Now there is the normal dry droppings. I estimate only about 5 per cent of the birds are still sick. This is day three of treatment and second day of observation.'
With the laboratory results still pending, I had prescribed a treatment that I hoped would address the issue. Bonnie's report was a welcome relief, and I was eager to see the final results.
After conducting a thorough investigation, including taking faecal samples from the cloaca of some of the sick birds and collecting water samples from the drinking nipples, we were able to identify the cause of the disease outbreak. The results showed that the farm was contaminated with a rare bacteria, Citrobacter braakii, which was resistant to commonly used antibiotics.
However, the good news was that the birds were responding well to the treatment, and Bonnie reported that the production had increased from 20 to 32 per cent. We advised the farmer to improve the levels of hygiene on the farm and biosecurity and ensure prompt investigation of diseases that fail to respond to initial treatment.
As I reflect on this case, I am reminded of the importance of vigilance in disease outbreak investigations. By working together with the farm manager and other experts, we were able to identify the cause of the disease and implement a treatment plan that was effective.
Published on September 14, 2019.
