Salpingitis in web-footed birds: prevalence, aetiology and significance

Among 4,893,447 ducks slaughtered during a 10 year period in a single slaughterhouse in Denmark 7,190 (0.15%) were condemned because of salpingitis. A further 21,658 ducks (0.44%) were approved for human consumption after the inflamed salpinx had been removed. Annual condemnation due to salpingitis varied from 0 to 0.53% and total condemnation varied from 1.30 to 2.72%, with an average of 1.98%. Sixteen different bacterial species were isolated in pure culture from salpingitis in 7 week-old ducks. Infections caused by Riemerella anatipestifer (66.5%) and Escherichia coli (14.6%) dominated. E. coli (37.5%), taxon 3 (18.8%), Pasteurella multocida ssp. multocida (12.5%), and taxon 2 (9.4%) were most frequently isolated from salpingitis in egg-laying ducks. E. coli (23.1%), taxon 2 (23.1%), and P. multocida ssp. multocida (20.5%) dominated in geese. At least seven different serovars of R. anatipestifer were demonstrated, and among 106 E. coli strains serotyped, at least 30 0-groups were demonstrated. Egg production observed in a flock of parents suffering from a serious outbreak of R. anatipestifer infection at the age of five weeks indicates that the infection might have a negative influence on subsequent reproduction. The isolation of bacterial species which are often present on the cloacal mucous membranes of normal web-footed birds, in addition to the isolation of a large number of 0-groups of E. coli from cases of salpingitis in such birds, supports the idea that ascending infections may account for some of the cases seen.