BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA IN TURKEYS IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE

A total of 274 apparently healthy and ailing or recently dead diseased turkeys were bacteriological-ly examined to detect the prevalence rate of P. multocida. The total incidence percentage of P. multocida in apparently normal turkeys was 4.1% but it was 9.7% in diseased ones. Confirmation of isolates was done by morphology, growth charac-teristics, biochemical reactions using 20 NE/API system. Serotyping of isolates by using indirect haemagglutination and gel diffusion precipitin tests revealed that A : 1 (38.1%); A:3 (23.8%);D: 12 (14.3%); F: 4 and - : 1 (9.5%) each as A:-(4.8%) were identified. The superiority of colistin Sulphate, nitrofurantoin, gentamicin, kanamycin and oxytetracycline against P. multocida of tur-keys origin were recorded. Experimental infection of the most prevalent serovars in 6- week old Bronzy turkeys were done. ‘The clinical Signs,POst - mortem cxamination, mean death lime, Morality rate and reisolation of the organism were described in details.