Fowl typhoid is an infectious, contagious bacterial disease that is usually acute but sometimes chronic. It affects most domestic and wild fowl including chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, pheasants and other game birds. It must not be confused with typhoid fever in humans that is caused by a distinctly different organism.

The cause in the bacterium, Salmonella gallinarum. Methods of transmission are the same as for pullorum disease, including egg transmission. However, mechanical transmission is more prevalent with this disease than with pullorum disease.

Any age bird can be infected, but the disease primarily occurs in young adults (usually those older than twelve weeks of age). Mortality varies from less than one to about forty percent, but higher mortality has been observed. Signs include sudden or sporadic mortality, listlessness, green or yellow diarrhea (accompanied with pasting of the vent feathers), loss of appetite, increased thirst and a pale, anemic appearance of comb and wattles.

A tentative diagnosis may be made from the history, signs and lesions but final diagnosis must be based on isolation and identification of the causative organism. Lesions observed at necropsy help verify a diagnosis of fowl typhoid. The lesions include an enlarged and mottled spleen, enlarged liver (colored yellow or greenish brown), small pinpoint hemorrhages in muscles and fat surrounding internal organs, and a slimy inflammation of the front third of the small intestine. Small, white plaque-like areas are visible through the walls of the intestine is suggestive of fowl typhoid in turkeys. Blood tests used to detect pullorum reactors are also used to identify fowl typhoid birds.

Prevention and control depend heavily upon basic disease prevention practices including the hatching chicks from disease-free flocks (as determined by pullorum testing), practicing strict sanitation on the farm, providing clean feed and water, and proper disposal of all dead birds as approved by the state animal health agency. The causative organism can live outside the bird body for at least six months, thus requiring extra management precautions to break the disease cycle. Following an outbreak, thoroughly clean and disinfect the premises. When feasible, practice range rotation and other special precautions to prevent the carryover of infection to the following flock.

Drugs cannot be depended upon as a means of typhoid prevention and are not recommended for that purpose. Infected birds may be salvaged using the same drugs as used to salvage pullorum infected birds.