​​Differential Disease Resistance of Indian Native Chicken Breeds to Experimental P. multocida Infection

Abstract

Background: Native chicken breeds are considered more disease tolerant than exotic chicken breeds especially for the bacterial diseases. Aseel, Ghagus and Vanaraja chicken breeds/ variety were evaluated for the disease tolerance/susceptibility pattern after experimental infection with P. multocida A:1 isolate. Methods: A total of 72 birds of three breeds viz., Aseel, Ghagus and Vanaraja (n=24 each) were divided into three groups. The birds were inoculated with 2.5x106 CFU/ml of virulent Pasteurella multocida A:1 isolate through intraperitoneal (I/P) and intranasal (I/N) routes at 12 weeks of age. Clinical signs, morbidity, mortality rates and lesions were observed in the infected birds. Result: The mortality rates were 83.3% in Assel breed against 100% in both Ghagus and Vanaraja breed in intraperitoneally infected groups. Upon intranasal infection, the mortality was 83.3% in Assel and Vanaraja breed against 100% in Ghagus breed. Aseel birds showed significantly better survivability and longer death time than Ghagus breed upon experimental infection with Pasteureall multocida A:1 isolate. Vanaraja breed showed tolerance comparable to Aseel in experimental infection via intranasal route.