Prevalence of Salmonella Infection in Intensive Poultry Farms in Hawassa and Isolation of Salmo- nella species from sick and dead chickens

A bacteriological study of Salmonella Gallinarum/Pullorum was conducted in in-tensively managed chickens in Hawassa, Ethiopia between November 2008 and May 2009. The objectives of the study were to estimate the bacteriological preva-lence of S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in apparently healthy chickens and to assess the proportional morbidity/mortality from S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in sick/dead chick-ens. Cloacal swabs were collected from a total of 380 randomly selected chickens from 3 poultry farms to estimate the prevalence, whereas necropsy samples of liver, spleen and ceca were collected from 31 sick/dead chickens to estimate the proportional morbidity/mortality. The prevalence of Salmonella infection (S. Gal-linaum/Pullorum) was 0.8 % (3/380), while isolation was possible from 16.1 % (5/31) sick/dead chickens. Only S. Gallinarum was isolated from cloacal swabs. Of the 6 isolates obtained from necropsy samples 1 was S. Pullorum and the rest 5 S. Galli-narum; and, 3 were from liver, 2 from cecum and 1 from spleen. It is concluded that salmonellosis is prevalent and fowl typhoid and pullorum disease have significant role in morbidity and mortality of intensively managed chickens in Hawassa. This result may indicate the challenge that the poultry industry of the country may face from S. Gallinarum/Pullorum in the future in its intensification. Concerted efforts, therefore, should be made at national and local levels to control the diseases