Pasteurella multocida type A is the etiologic agent of fowl cholera, a highly contagious and fatal disease of chickens. The present research work was performed for the isolation, identification and molecular detection of P. multocida Type A from chickens. Liver, heart and spleen of suspected dead chicken (n=35) were collected from Gazipur and Pabna districts in Bangladesh. The targeted bacteria from the samples were isolated, identified and characterized based on their morphology, staining, cultural, biochemical characters, pathogenicity test, histopathological study and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The P. multocida organism was isolated from 11.42% (n=4/35) samples. The organisms were gram negative, non-spore forming rod, non-motile, occurring singly or pairs in Gram staining, whereas in Leishman's stain, bipolar shaped organisms were observed. All the isolates were found positive for oxidase and catalase tests, produced indole, and fermented glucose, mannitol and sucrose. Necrotic foci in liver and congestion with hemorrhages in heart were found on necropsy. After pathogenicity test, the pathological changes were reconfirmed by histopathology depicting congestion, hemorrhage and lymphocyte infiltration in heart, liver and spleen tissues. In type specific PCR reaction, the organisms were confirmed as P. multocida Type A. In conclusion, P. multocida type A is prevalent among poultry in the studied regions; thus, care must be taken to control of the disease. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2015; 2(3.000): 338-345]

Duck plague (DP) is the most feared duck disease in the world. For isolation, identification, molecular detection and characterization of DP virus (DPV), a total of 94 samples were collected from commercial farms (n=6) and households (n=13) from Rajshahi (n=37), Netrokona (n=35) and Mymensingh (n=22) districts of Bangladesh. The samples were processed and inoculated into 11-13 days old embryonated duck eggs for virus propagation. Virus was identified using agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIT) and passive hemagglutination (PHA) test, and was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting DNA polymerase and gC genes, followed by sequencing. Pathogenicity tests were performed using duck embryos, ducklings and ducks. Among the 94 samples, 17 isolates were confirmed as DPV by PCR amplification of partial DNA polymerase (446-bp) and gC genes (78-bp), respectively. One of the isolates (Anatid herpes 1 BAU DMH) was sequenced and found to be closely related with a Chinese variant of DPV (GenBank: JQ647509.1). Thus, we assume that both Bangladeshi and Chinese isolates of DPV may have a common ancestor. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2015; 2(3.000): 296-303]