pullorum disease

[puh-lawr-uh m, -lohr-]

noun Veterinary Pathology.

a highly contagious, frequently fatal disease of young poultry caused by the bacterium Salmonella gallinarum (pullorum), transmitted by the infected hen during egg production, and characterized by weakness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

Origin of pullorum disease

1925–30; < New Latin (Bacterium) pullorum former name of the bacterium, Latin pullōrum, genitive plural of pullus cockerel, chicken (see pullet)

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British Dictionary definitions for pullorum disease

pullorum disease

noun

an acute serious bacterial disease of very young birds, esp chickens, characterized by a whitish diarrhoea: caused by Salmonella pullorum, transmitted during egg productionAlso called: bacillary white diarrhoea

Word Origin for pullorum disease

Latin pullōrum of chickens, from pullus chicken

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