Vol. 13, Issue 3 (2024)

Author(s):
Dr. Debasish Behera, Dr. Sukanta Datta, Dr. Kanika Kalai and Dr. Aparajita Das

Abstract:
The present study was carried out to isolate and identify the Riemerella anatipestifer in ducks in the Tripura state of North East India and this organism is responsible for new duck disease or duck septicaemia. Riemerella anatipestifer is a gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore forming, rod-shaped bacterium and leading to high morbidity and mortality among ducks. The clinical manifestation in this study revealed, fibrinous serositis, arthritis and often leads to rapid fatality due to septicaemia. A total of 453 samples were collected from five districts of Tripura such as West, Sepahijala, Gomati, Khowai and Unokoti. Pharyngeal swab, tracheal scrapings, heart blood, lung, liver, spleen, ovary, and brain as samples from live and dead birds were part of this study. Samples were inoculated in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth, 5% sheep blood agar and Trypticase soy agar plates and isolates were identified based on their morphology, cultural characteristics, growth on MacConkey's agar, and haemolysis on blood agar. Based on microbiological characteristics, 167 samples out of 453 were suspected positive for Riemerella anatipestifer. Further the confirmation of the isolated samples was obtained by analysing the amplification of 16s rRNA gene with amplicon size was 665 bp by PCR and a total of 144 samples were confirmed as Riemerella anatipestifer in this study. The positive isolates were preserved for further research work such as molecular epidemiology, pathology, antibiogram.