Abstract

Fowl cholera (FC) is still a major threat for poultry industry in Pakistan. Despite the extensive vaccination programme, outbreaks continue to occur. Six Pasteurella multocida isolates were recovered from several farms in Faisalabad with outbreak of FC. The isolates were characterized by biochemical profiles, Analytical Profile Index (API) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Isolates were found resistant to streptomycin and cephradine and susceptible to ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. API resulted in 86.1 to 98.6% identification. The results indicated that API system and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were helpful for the quick diagnosis and selection of appropriate antimicrobial agents, respectively. Furthermore, both the systems were quick and inexpensive.

Key words: Fowl cholera, antimicrobial, Pasteurella multocida.