author(s)
Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Md. Nazrul Islam, SMH Rashid, MSB Juli, Md. Najmul Hassan Parvez and Md. Sadequl Islam

abstract
Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella spp. is a notorious organism in the commercial poultry industry. In the present study, Salmonella organisms were isolated and identified from ovaries of dead layer birds and from inner content of laid eggs of different poultry farms located in Nilphamari district of Bangladesh. A total of 66 ovarian swabs for bacteriological & visceral organs (liver, lung, spleen, egg follicles and intestine) of 66 dead birds for pathological(gross &histopathology) study from 12layer farms and 24 laid eggs (2 eggs/farm) from reported 9 Salmonella infected farms constituted samples of the study. Molecular detection of Salmonella spp. was done by PCR using Salmonella genus specific primers. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 15.6% (n=14/90). Grossly livers of Salmonella affected birds were enlarged, congested, friable and bronze colored with white necrotic foci. Egg follicles were congested, hemorrhagic, discolored with stalk formation. Intestines showed hemorrhagic to catarrhal enteritis. At histopathology, livers were congested with formation of multifocal nodules and egg follicles were congested with huge leukocytic infiltration. Infiltration of heterophils in intestinal mucosa was found. Three Salmonella isolates were found from 24 laid egg samples and isolation rate was 12.5% reporting transovarian transmission in poultry Salmonellosis. All 14 isolates were confirmed as Salmonella spp. by amplification of 16SrRNA gene. The study indicates that Salmonellosis has emerged as one of the most serious problem in poultry industry.