Facts about Fowl Cholera

Fowl cholera is a specific infectious disease which affects nearly all species of poultry. Quite frequently it occurs as an acute disease, but sub-acute and chronic infections are also common. It is one of the oldest of the poultry diseases, the infectious nature having been recognized for a century. Fowl cholera was first reported in the United States in 1880. From that time to the present the disease has accounted for an enormous loss of poultry. It is not of equal importance in all parts of the country. In some areas cholera occurs only sporadically; other areas show a decline in numbers of outbreaks as compared to· 15 to 20 years ago. This decline may be due, in part, to better poultry management practices. In other areas fowl cholera is prevalent every year, affecting many flocks and accounting for a high mortality. (See more in text