Definition

Noun: * An acute bacterial disease of domestic and wild birds: "Fowl cholera" is the common name for a specific, serious, and often fatal infectious disease affecting poultry and other avian species. It is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida.

Usage

• "Fowl cholera" is a technical term used primarily in veterinary medicine, poultry farming, and wildlife biology. It describes a specific disease condition.
• It functions as a compound noun where "fowl" specifies the type of animal affected, and "cholera" specifies the type of disease. The term is used as a single conceptual unit.
• Example: The sudden deaths in the flock were diagnosed as an outbreak of fowl cholera.
• Example: Vaccination is a key strategy for preventing fowl cholera in commercial poultry operations.

Advanced Usage

• The disease is characterized by septicemia (blood infection), leading to rapid death, often with symptoms including fever, loss of appetite, mucous discharge, and diarrhea.
• In scientific and formal contexts, the causative agent is always specified: "Fowl cholera is caused by ."

Variants and Related Words

• Avian cholera: A synonymous term more commonly used for the disease in wild bird populations.
• Pasteurellosis: The broader disease name caused by bacteria of the genus . "Fowl cholera" is a specific form of pasteurellosis.
• Hemorrhagic septicemia: A related, often fatal disease in mammals (like cattle and buffalo) caused by specific serotypes of the same bacterium, .

Synonyms

• Avian cholera
• Avian pasteurellosis

Notes on Different Meanings

• Cholera (Human): It is critical to distinguish "fowl cholera" from "cholera" in humans. Human cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium and is unrelated to the avian disease. The names are similar historically but refer to completely different pathogens and hosts.

Noun

1. an acute diarrheal disease (especially of chickens) caused by the microorganism that causes hemorrhagic septicemia