Western
Meeting of Poultry
Clinicians and Pathologists
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Clinicians and Pathologists
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Pullorum Disease on Vancouver Island Victoria Bowes Animal Health Centre In October 1997, the Animal Health Centre diagnosed pullorum disease in a backyard poultry flock on southern Vancouver Island. Since pullorum disease is a federally notifiable disease, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) was informed and a traceback began. By November, three new cases were identified and depopulated with compensation. Testing continued and by the beginning of June no new cases were found. Just as the CFIA was ready to declare the eradication program a success, a new positive flock was identified, unrelated to previous cases. The testing program was expanded and a door-to-door campaign began. Screeners went out to identify poultry flocks and bleeders then followed to blood test and wingband each bird. Any bird reacting positively to the whole blood plate agglutination test was sacrificed and sent to the Animal Health Centre for confirmatory culture. Once Salmonella pullorum was cultured, the entire flock was depopulated. As of September 30, 1998, 38,964 premises were visited, 53,316 birds were tested and of the 72 flocks with reactors, 18 were confirmed positive by culture and depopulated. The eradication deadline of October 28th is expected to be reached and Canada’s pullorum free status to be maintained. The success of the program could only have been made possible by the combined efforts and resources of the CFIA, Ministry of Agriculture and the private poultry industry.
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