Necropsy of five 12-week-old pullets from a flock of 99,300 suffering from an increased mortality rate revealed enlarged, gas-filled intestines, the mucosal surfaces of which had the "dirty turkish towel" appearance typical of necrotic enteritis. Although the pullets had been raised entirely in cages, intestinal scrapings revealed the presence of Eimeria maxima. Histopathological findings were compatible with necrotic enteritis. Clostridium perfringens was isolated by anaerobic culture from the intestines. Mortality returned to normal after bacitracin and amprolium were added to the feed.
A disease syndrome of broiler chickens is described. Affected birds exhibited poor pigmentation of the shanks, decreased weight gains, elevated feed conversions, poor feathering, enlargement of the proventriculus, and a decrease in the size of the gizzard. Reoviruses were isolated from affected chickens from several farms. Signs and lesions similar to those seen in chickens with the field syndrome were reproduced when these isolates were inoculated into day-old chicks with low levels of maternal antibody against viral arthritis. The pathogenicity of the viral isolates was variable. The incidence of lameness was much higher in those groups of chicks injected with these viruses than in the control groups.
Severe mortality occurred in a flock of 16,000 turkey poults after fresh litter consisting of poplar, oak, sweetgum, and pine shavings was added to the brooder house. Signs and lesions seen were consistent with aspergillosis. Mortality for the first 21 days of brooding was 305 poults. New litter was added on day 21; 6,041 poults died during the next 24 days. Mold counts were done on the original litter and added litter. The mold counts for the original litter was 1.0 X 10(5) organisms per gram of litter. The mold count for the added litter was 2.5 X 10(6) organisms per gram of litter. After the added litter had been treated with nystatin and copper sulfate, the mold count dropped to less than 1 X 10(4) organisms per gram of litter. Mortality was also reduced but not to pre-infection levels. Rales, mucus rhinitis, and airsacculitis due to Escherichia coli developed. Despite treatment, performance of the flock remained poor.
Light-microscope and electron-microscope studies of a coccidial organism found in the bursa of Fabricius from 3 chickens clearly established the parasite as belonging to the family Cryptosporiidae. Hyperplasia and heterophil infiltration were associated with the presence of organisms attached to the microvillus border of epithelial cells lining the plicae of the bursa of Fabricius. Although there were no clinical signs or gross lesions common to the 3 cases described, all had similar histologic lesions in the epithelium lining the bursa of Fabricius.
An outbreak of sinusitis due to cryptosporidial infection is described in 7-week-old turkeys. Infection of 3-week-old turkeys subsequently placed in the same environment is documented.
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