pullorum disease

[puh-lawr-uhm, -lohr-]

noun

Veterinary Pathology.

1. 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.

pullorum disease

/ pʊˈlɔːrəm /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pullorum disease¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pullorum disease¹

Latin pullōrum of chickens, from pullus chicken