Fowl cholera

Fowl cholera is also called avian cholera, avian pasteurellosis and avian hemorrhagic septicemia.

It is the most common pasteurellosis of poultry. As the causative agent is Pasteurella multocida, it is considered to be a zoonosis.

Adult birds and old chickens are more susceptible. In parental flocks, cocks are far more susceptible than hens.

Besides chickens, the disease also concerns turkeys, ducks, geese, raptors, and canaries. Turkeys are particularly sensitive, with mortality ranging to 65%.

The recognition of this pathological condition is of ever increasing importance for differential diagnosis with avian influenza.

The disease was first recorded in the 18th century. In 1879, Pasteur received a bacterial sample from Jean Joseph Henri Toussaint DVM, Professor, Toulouse Veterinary College who had been working with Fowl Cholera. Louis Pasteur then isolated and grew it in pure culture. Originally a disease of fowl in Europe, it was first recorded in North America in 1943–44. Since then outbreaks have been recorded almost annually in wild birds. Today, this disease is most prevalent in wild waterfowl of North America.

In December 1880, Pasteur announced to the French Academy of Sciences that he was working on a vaccine against fowl cholera. In fact, Pasteur's vaccine had irregular effects and was a failure.

In 2011 an outbreak of avian cholera killed thousands of eider ducks in Arctic regions of Canada. Scientists are studying the outbreak and its potential to spread to Greenland.