Klebsiella Bacterial Infection

Introduction

Heavy parental flock Hibro PG, brought up in raising facilities, was moved into production facilities. The upbringing of 16800 hens was done in two objects in a single location, and the upbringing of 2150 roosters in the third object of the same location. During the upbringing, no disorders of health was noticed among animals, and an immunoprophylaxis program made in the Scientific Institute for Veterinary Medicine was conducted by veterinary service.Immunoprophylactic program, besides the protection of usual viral diseases, included the protection of salmonella and coccidiosis. Deaths during the upbringing were 2.2 % among hens, and 3.4% among roosters, and 1.7% hens and 2.5% roosters were removed during spoilage removal. The objects where the flocks were kept were satisfying on all of the parameters considering quality, heating equipment, ventilation, light, water and food. The flock was weighed weekly and during the upbringing there were no deviations from the technologically anticipated weighs. Moving the animals into production objects was conducted in the 18^th week of life. Simultaneously with that, the flock was vaccinated with inactivated 4 - valent vaccine (NDV, IB, IBDV and REO) and final spoilage removal and selection of animals. The uniformity of the flock in the moment of moving was 79%. 

The production of eggs is done in three production objects, which meet the technological parameters. Collecting eggs is done manually, several times per day.  Eggs are taken to the incubators every day, and the first disinfection of eggs is performed in the incubatory stations.

With the appropriate initiation of eggs into production the peak of production was achieved in the 30^th week of life, and was 83%. Eggs produced by this flock were good in quality and fertilization reached 92% and hatchery 87%.

Regular health controls of parents were done each 15 days, and laboratory tests of hatchery remains were performed with each hatching. Clinical examination of animals did not find a health disorder.

The research problem and the aim of the work

Since regular controls of chickens from the eggs laid in the 38^th week of life showed a decreased percentage of hatching, increased percentage of embryo deaths and deaths in the final stage of incubation, and increase in percentage of spoilage and deaths in the first week of life, this work had the aim to show the causes of these production disorders.

Materials and methods

For laboratory tests, samples of hatchery remains were taken, 100 unhatched eggs and 20 spoilage chickens after each hatching.

Corpses and feces of parents were bacteriologically tested per week, and autopsies of corpses were done daily by veterinary services.  

Bacteriologically examined samples were:

Material examinations were done according to the usual laboratory methods:

Blood serums from parents, 50 samples per flock, were taken in the 39^th and 44^th week of life. 50 samples of blood serums from spoilage chickens were taken in each hatchery.

Serums were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent test, for NDV, IB, IBDV, PEO, AE, salmonellae and mycoplasma, and with agglutination inhibition test for SPN.

Results

Clinical examination of the parental flock did not find a health disorder or changes in egg quality.

Laboratory tests on the materials taken from the parents found no mycoplasma or salmonellae infection, and immune system of the flock was satisfying.

Checking hatchery remains showed that the deaths of embryos occurred in the first days of incubation, and in the period before hatching. Yolk bag was not resorbed among those who managed to break through the egg shell.

Spoilage chickens and chickens that died in the first days of life had an unresorbed yolk bag with the changed color content.

The percentage of hatchery, spoilage chickens and deaths in the first days of life increased (Table 1) with each hatching:

Table 1: percentage of hatchery, spoilage chickens and deaths

 Checking the microscopic preparations from the Gram´s staining procedure found the presence of gram negative sticks, showing in the field of view individually, in couples, or in short chains. Klebsiella does not require special growth conditions so it grows on all bases. Differentiation from other similar microorganisms is done based on biochemical analysis through making a biochemical chain. After the chain confirmed the presence of Klebsiella, an antibiogram was done and determined the isolated microorganism as sensitive to Florfenicol and Amoxicilin with Clavulanic acid. The flock underwent a therapy and the condition normalized in the 48^th week.

Discussion:

Despite of the more frequent findings of Klebsiella contamination in chicken meat, infections in flocks caused by it are still classified as secondary. The most often source of the infection is contaminated sperm and the infection itself causes deaths among embryos, infection of yolk bags and mortality in young chickens. Same symptoms may appear in infections caused by other kinds of microorganisms. In our work we identified Klebsiella as a cause of decreased hatching, increased embryo and young chicken deaths during a 10 week long production. The length of infection is the result of therapy applied by veterinary services on the first signs of yolk bag infection, which prolonged the time for setting a correct diagnosis. 

Conclusions:

1. The foundation of producing day - old chickens is a healthy parental flock and satisfying zoo hygienic conditions of production. 

2. Collecting hatching eggs every two hours and their sanitation at the moment they are taken out of the production facility prevents contamination of incubators and chickens.

3. Regular laboratory controls provide fast and efficient solving of health issues.

4. Selection of antibiotics based only on clinical symptoms postpones the isolation of basic cause of the disorder and prolongs the time needed for diagnosing.

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