Research Journal for Veterinary Practitioners

Research Article
Res. j. vet. pract. 1(1) 1 - 4
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Habib-ur-Rehman*1, Naseem Fawad1, Ghulam Abbas1, Ghazala Naheed1, Bushra Siddique1, Farhan Afzal1, Jawad Munawar1, Mian Aurangzeb1, Muhammad Atif1, Imtiaz-ul-Haq2, Jamila Shafi3, Muhammad Sabir Farooq4, Zahid Ali Tahir5, Muhammad Qamar6, Abid Hussain7, Muhammad Saleem8, Muhammad Tahir Naseem9, Muhammad Javed10

1Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi-Pakistan; 2Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Jhelum; 3Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Samundri; 4Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Gujar Khan; 5Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory- Kamalia; 6Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory- Bahawal Nagar; 7Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Ghakkar; 8Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Jhang; 9Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory-Arifwala; 10Deputy District livestock officer Sargodha.
*Corresponding author: habib.rehman71@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT
Prevalence of poultry diseases in Punjab province of Pakistan was investigated by analyzing data from 8 regional and one central disease diagnostic laboratory of the directorate of Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi. The post mortem- examinations were conducted during June 2011 to July 2012 and data is presented quarterwise starting from July 2011. For important diseases like Newcastle (ND), avian influenza (AI), salmonellosis, mycoplasmosis postmortem findings were supported by laboratory investigations in certain cases. Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease viruses were cultrured on embroynated eggs from tissue samples of the suspected cases and then confirmed by using specific antisera. Serum samples were also processed for haemaglutination inhibition (HI) test to monitor antibody titers against ND and AI. Salmonella were isolated on differential media and identified by either biochemical tests or through PCR. In day old chicks or chicks of fewer than 10 days, serum was tested with known antigen of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, M. synoviae and Salmonella pullorum/gallinarum for vertical transimission testing. Mycoplasmosis or salmonellosis in adult birds was either identified by culturing on specific medium or using serum plate agglutination tests. Coccidiosis and mycotoxicosis were at peak from July to September (14.4% & 8.9% respectively). Prevalence of ND increased significantly (P=0.005) from 5.9% in quarter 1 to 15% in quarter 4. Gumboro Disease persisted at 5.9% with no significant difference (P≤0.05) among quarters. High pathogenic AI was not reported during the year whereas low pathogenic AI remained around 1% level with a mean of 0.8%. Mean prevalence of hydropericardium syndrome (2.5%), Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection (8.7%), pullorum disease (2.7%), cholera (1.4%), typhoid (7.1%), colibacillosis (10.1%), coryza (4.4%), endo-parasitism (3.0%), ecto-parasitism (0.7%), coccidiosis (13.1%), mycotoxicosis (6.1%) and others (17.6%) was no significantly different among four quarters of the study year (P≤0.05).

Key Words: Poultry diseases, Prevalence, Punjab