Arizonosis is a septicemic disease of turkey poults; one of the most frequently identified salmonella serotypes with significant mortality and morbidity causing serious outbreaks. The present work aimed to detect the incidence of Salmonella arizonae in different bird species in New Valley Governorate, its sensitivity and/or resistance to antibacterial drugs, and its pathogenicity for turkey poults. A total of 250 suspected samples from dead and sick birds of different species in the New Valley Governorate were collected. Isolation was carried out following standard methods, primarily through standard laboratory culture media, followed by biochemical identification. All obtained isolates were subjected to a set of 6 antibacterial agents to study their antibiogram sensitivity using the disk diffusion method. Experimental infection of seven-day-old turkey poults with the isolated Salmonella arizonae was carried out by oral and intraocular routes. Results revealed that 23 isolates were identified as Salmonella arizonae (9.2%) from turkey poults, pigeons, and quail of different ages. High sensitivity of Salmonella arizonae isolates was recorded for gentamicin, followed by colistin sulphate, doxycycline, and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole. High resistance of Salmonella arizonae isolates was recorded for florfenicol and amoxicillin. Clinical signs of experimentally infected turkey poults include depression, off food, whitish and greenish diarrhea, emaciation, ruffled feathers, and reluctance to move. Post-mortem examination showed that mild arthritis, bronzy coloration of the liver, typhlitis, pneumonia, hemorrhage in the brain, severe enteritis, and enlargement of spleen and gallbladder. Mortality rates in experimentally infected turkey poults reached 80% and 50% with both ocular and oral routes, respectively. It was concluded that Salmonella arizonae could be detected with an incidence rate 9.2% from turkey, pigeonsو and quail in New valley Governorate. Salmonella arizonae is sensitive for gentamicin, colistin sulphate, doxycycline, and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole, while it is resistant to  florfenicol and amoxicillin. Experimental infection of Salmonella arizonae in turkey poults results in high mortality and sever clinical signs and postmortem lesions.



Keywords: salmonella arizonae ; incidence ; pathogenicity ; sensitivity