Subacute to chronic fowl cholera in a flock of Pharaoh breeder quail

A total of 1300 birds in flock of breeder Pharaoh quail (Coturinix coturnix) experienced a moderate rate of mortality (13%) during a 7-day period. Clinical signs included depression, ruffled feathers, prostration, lameness, inapetence, diarrhea, and periorbital sinus swelling with mucoid discharge and lameness. Gross lesions observed in dead quail were emaciation, carcass congestion, mild hepatomegaly with green discoloration, congested intestinal mucosa, caseous purulent arthritis-osteomyelitis, and thickened crop mucosal epithelium. Histopathologic examination revealed mild hepatic amyloidosis, proliferative parabronchitis, splenic reticular cell hyperplasia, thymic cortical atrophy, subacute bacterial osteomyelitis, periarthritis, and crop mycosis. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from the joints of these birds and the isolates were serotype 3 x 4. These findings suggest that Pharaoh quail are susceptible to P. multocida and are likely to develop subacute to chronic fowl cholera.