''Riemerella anatipestifer'' is a member of the

Flavobacteriaceae Flavobacteriaceae is a family of rod-shaped gram negative bacteria. The family contains many environmental bacteria, with some species being potential pathogens. History The family of ''Flavobacteriaceae'' was first proposed by Reichenbach in 1 ...

family. It is a Gram-negative

bacterium Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the ...

that causes

septicaemia Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...

and death in young

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

and

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

throughout the world. There are 21 known serotypes and infection is spread horizontally between birds. Infection may be referred to as duck septicaemia, goose flu, riemerellosis, new duck disease and polyserositis.

Clinical signs and diagnosis

Clinical signs are most commonly seen in birds between the ages of 1–8 weeks old. Systemic infection is most common, producing a variety of clinical signs. These include

diarrhoea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

pyrexia Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature set point in the hypothalamus. There is no single agre ...

anorexia Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...

, stunted growth, respiratory signs (e.g.

coughing A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three ...

), neurological abnormalities (e.g. convulsions), and ocular signs. These signs are rapidly followed by death in many birds. Infection may localise in chronic cases. On

post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...

, a yellow-white

exudate An exudate is a fluid released by an organism through pores or a wound, a process known as exuding or exudation. ''Exudate'' is derived from ''exude'' 'to ooze' from Latin language, Latin 'to (ooze out) sweat' (' 'out' and ' 'to sweat'). Medi ...

and congestion can be seen throughout the body. The signs seen on clinical exam and postmortem are normally sufficient to make a presumptive diagnosis. This diagnosis can be confirmed using laboratory tests such as

bacterial culture A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diag ...

, PCR and

ELISA The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay is a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence of ...

Treatment and control

Antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

are the treatment of choice. The type of antibiotic selected should be determined by licensing and sensitivity testing. Both a live and inactivated

vaccines A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified. A vaccine typically contains an ag ...

are available to control the disease. Good husbandry is also an essential part of disease prevention.

References

* Riemerella anatipestifer, reviewed and published by Wikivet at http://en.wikivet.net/Riemerella_anatipestifer, accessed 19/09/2011.

External links

Type strain of ''Riemerella anatipestifer'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Poultry diseases Bacterial diseases Bacteria described in 1932 {{Veterinary-med-stub