Spleen Of Birds Research Articles

Paratyphoid infection induced byEimeria tenellain the broiler‐type chickens

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the Eimeria tenella infection on mortality, weight gain and lesions of paratyphoid infection in broilers. When 4-day-old birds were exposed to approximately 106 colony forming units (CFU) of S. typhimurium for 5 consecutive days after the coccidial inoculation, the effect on mortality of concurrent infection, 17.7%, was about the sum of the E. tenella-inoculated group and the S. typhimurium-inoculated group (15.5%). When 11-day-old birds were similarly exposed to approximately 107 CFU of S. typhimurium, the gross lesions of paratyphoid infection characterised by visible foci over the entire liver were observed only in the concurrently infected birds killed 10 and 14 days after coccidial inoculation. The S. typhimurium counts in the liver and spleen of birds killed 7 days after coccidial inoculation were significantly greater than that of birds inoculated with S. typhimurium alone. In both experiments, the S. typhimurium counts in the caecal contents of birds inoculated with both organisms were significantly greater than those of birds infected with S. typhimurium alone.

Citrinin mycotoxicosis in broiler chickens

Citrinin, a mycotoxin, was administered to chickens by crop gavage in dimethylsulphoxide-70% ethanol (3:1, v/v) or mixed with the diet (commercial starter mash) in four separate trials. The single-dose oral LD 50 value in 7-day-old male broiler chicks was found to be 95 mg/kg. The administration of seven daily doses of citrinin equal to a half and three-quarters of the single-dose LD 50 produced no additive toxic effects. The development of tissue lesions was studied in chicks killed sequentially after administration of the LD 50 in a single dose. Watery diarrhoea and increased water consumption were the most consistent signs of citrinin mycotoxicosis. Histopathological alterations were most prominent in the kidneys and included degeneration and necrosis of tubular epithelial cells of both the proximal and distal convoluted tubules. Hepatic lesions were multiple foci of necrosis and haemorrhage and the severity was correlated with citrinin dose. Lymphoid necrosis and depletion were found in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, caecal tonsil and spleen in birds given a single and multiple oral doses of citrinin. When chickens were given 100, 250 or 500 ppm citrinin in the diet for 3 wk they showed the clinical signs of citrinin mycotoxicosis and their kidneys were enlarged but no histopathological alterations were found.