Van Roekel Research Articles

Salmonellosis Infection in Ring Neck Pheasant Chicks

The importance of Salmonella infections in upland game birds reared in captivity has long been recognized. Shillinger (8 & 9) states that outbreaks on game farms of a disease of obscure origin and character have been studied repeatedly. Organisms most frequently identified as causative agents belonged to the Salmonella group. Natural outbreaks among pheasants have been reported by Hendrickson and Hilbert (4), Miessner (6), Van Roekel et al. (10), Williams (11). Edwards et al. (2) isolated 23 different serotypes from ring neck pheasants. Belding (1) isolated S. pullorum from wild pheasants in Michigan. The extensive review of Hinshaw et al. (5) states that salmonellosis of birds is primarily a disease of the young, is often egg transmitted and hatchery disseminated. Williams et al. (11) also observed that paratyphoid infection is a disease of young fowl with environmental conditions, degree of exposure and presence of concurrent infections important influences on severity. In such instances the infection is acquired by egg transmission or early incubator exposure. A high proportion of pipped and unpipped eggs containing dead embryos may be observed. S. newington was first isolated from ducks by Rettger and Scoville (7), but it was Edwards et al. (2) who studied the antigenic characteristics of this serotype and named it. Erwin and Mitchell (3) isolated S. newington from dead embryos and sick and dead quail chicks.

Viability Studies with Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Under Different Environmental Conditions

INTRODUCTIONIT HAS been generally recognized that Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO), is the primary cause of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in chickens and turkeys, although some other bacterial and viral agents may aid to precipitate or complicate the CRD complex (Van Roekel and Olesiuk, 1953; Gross, 1956; Van Roekel et al., 1957; Adler et al., 1958; Jungherr, 1958; Lancaster et al., 1960; Olesiuk and Van Roekel, 1960; Ose et al., 1960; Fabricant and Levine, 1962; Gross, 1962; Yoder and Hofstad, 1964; and Yoder, 1965). This disease is widespread and of economic significance wherever domestic poultry is being produced (Yoder, 1965). Considerable attention has been focused on the problem of eradication and control of this disease because of the significant losses it has inflicted upon the poultry industry (Anonymous, 1962).While much knowledge concerning the various aspects of this disease has been gained during the past decade, little or …

Presence of a Newcastle Disease-Like Agent in Chicken Embryo Cells: A Preliminary Note

Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in eggs laid by infected hens has been described by Brandly (1), Delay (3), Jungherr (4), Thompson and Osteen (9), and Van Roekel (10). The frequency of its presence, however, is low compared to the multiple assays carried out to investigate the presence of this infection in eggs. This infection has been evidenced either in fertile incubated eggs, in embryos dying in the incubation period, or in newborn chicks. In addition, vaccine-type NDV has been demonstrated in eggs laid by hens vaccinated with a live vaccine a few days previously, the virus being isolated from embryos dying during incubation (8). During a research study on avian virus diseases, we accidentally discovered an ND-like agent in chicken-embryo fibroblast cultures.

Coccidiosis as a Stress Factor in the Development of Air Sac Disease

AIR sac disease (complicated CRD) is defined as the disease complex that occurs when Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection is complicated by secondary infections (ARS Bulletin 22–81, 1962). The role of viral infections in the development of complicated chronic respiratory disease, has been described by Van Roekel et al. (1957), Gross (1961a), and others. Wasserman et al. (1954) and Gross (1956 and Gross (1961b), have described the role of Escherichia coli in complicating CRD. Gross (1958), and Stephens and Bierer (1963) reported that pericarditis was not produced by administering pathogenic E. coli in the chicks’ drinking water and Sicardi and Pomeroy (1964), reported that chicks orally exposed to pathogenic strains of E. coli at any time after hatching developed no symptoms of E. coli infection even when stressed by restriction of feed and water. Yet, it has been stated (Anonymous, 1963) that the combination of PPLO and a virus can cause the rapid…

The Effect of Sequence of Infection on Complex Respiratory Disease

The sequence of infections often has an influence on the severity of complex disease (3) with multiple etiology. The chronic respiratory disease (CRD) complex in birds from the field was first reported by Van Roekel et al. (9). Several infectious agents were isolated, including respiratory viruses, bacteria, and pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO) (presumably avian pathogenic PPLO or Mycoplasma gallisepticum). The complex etiology of this disease has been described under several names and confirmed by many authors (4,7,8, 10). Fabricant et al. (6) confirmed the hatching-egg transmission of PPLO (M. gallisepticum) but indicated little or no consistency to the pattern with which infected eggs were laid by shedder hens. This lack of uniformity in trans-ovarian transmission of M. gallisepticum in day-old chicks presents three major possibilities in the sequence of exposure to infectious agents in the early life of the chick. Some of the most common examples can be found when M. gallisepticum and avian respiratory virus infections are considered in the life of the early chick. The three major possibilities, in sequence, are as follows: 1) Chicks having the hatching-egg-transmitted microorganism (M. gallisepticum) at 1 day old may be exposed to avian respiratory virus days or weeks later. 2) Chicks having the hatching-egg-transmitted microorganism (M. gallisepticum) at 1 day old may be exposed to

Evaluation of the Immunity Response to Infectious Bronchitis Virus

Much new knowledge has been gained in the past decade on strain differences in infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Before 1956 it was assumed that there was only one antigenic type of IBV. In 1956, Jungherr et al. (6) reported an isolate from Connecticut (Conn.) that differed antigenically from an isolate obtained from Van Roekel of Amherst, Massachusetts, designated the Massachusetts (Mass.) type. Hofstad (4) later demonstrated two additional isolates, from Iowa, identified as numbers 97 and 609, that were serologically different from the Mass. and Conn. types. Two additional IBV isolates that manifest a low incidence of renal tropism in chickens, identified as Holte and Gray, have been reported by Winterfield and Hitchner (10). Yates and Fry (11) isolated an agent that produced lesions in embryos resembling IBV, which they have termed chicken embryo lethal orphan (CELO) virus. DuBose and Grumbles (2) studied the characteristics of CELO and quail bronchitis virus (QBV) and concluded they were identical agents. Previously, in 1950, Olson (7) had reported on an infectious bronchitis (IB) of quail, at which time he pointed out the similarities of the pattern of virus growth in embryos to that of IB of chickens. He suggested that there may be types of IBV, as in human influenza, in which little or no cross immunity exists. Data presented here substantiate and extend the findings of former workers and point out the need for a systematic approach to the classification of IBV.

Rupture of the Gastrocnemius Tendon in Chickens

Rupture of the gastrocnemius tendon is not a new condition in chickens. It has been reported by Bullis and Van Roekel (1) in the United States, by Chute (3) in Canada, and by Harriss (4,5), Jordan (6), and Carnaghan and Hanson (2) in Great Britain. The importance of this condition in Belgium has increased markedly during the last few years. The researchers mentioned above report that this condition occurs most frequently in birds at sexual maturity and that the incidence in affected flocks varies between 5 and 15%, averaging about 10%. Investigations into the etiology of rupture of the gastrocnemius tendon led to divergent views, such as an inherited predisposition to tendon weakness, environmental factors, early maturity, and influence of sex hormones. It is worthwhile, therefore, to compare these views with our own observations and statistics.

A Genetic Influence on Cataract Formation among White Leghorn Incrosses Following an Outbreak of Avian Encephalomyelitis

In the spring of 1962, avian encephalomyelitis was diagnosed in consecutive hatches of White Leghorns from a diallel cross of five inbred lines. In addition to the clinical symptoms observed during the brooding period, later observations disclosed a rather high incidence of lens opacity at the approximate age of sexual maturity. Evidence is presented here of a relation between avian encephalomyelitis and subsequent cataract formation and the differential response to the disease of White Leghorn single crosses. An opacity of one or both lenses in the eyes of chickens surviving avian encephalomyelitis was reported by Van Roekel et al. (6). Subsequent reports by Zander (7), Peckham (5), Bridges and Flowers (2), and Brion et al. (1) presented further evidence that cataract formation may be a sequel to avian encephalomyelitis. Breed differences in susceptibility of the central nervous system to the virus were noted by Feibel et al. (3) during experimental transmission trials.

Serological Studies of Mycoplasma (PPLO) of Avian Origin

The serology of the Mycoplasma (PPLO) of avian origin gained significance after 1952, when the reports of Markham and Wong (14) and Van Roekel and Olesiuk (16) implicated the PPLO as the cause of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) of chickens, and of infectious sinusitis (IS) of turkeys. Serological techniques were soon developed; the tools used are hemagglutination inhibition (11), agglutination (1), and growth inhibition (2,6). Earlier reports (9,10,17) indicated that the Mycoplasma isolated from CRD and IS were antigenically and morphologically the same, and for a time it appeared that only one strain of avian origin existed (3). More recent reports by Yamamoto and Adler (18), Kleckner (13), Chalquest and Fabricant (5), Fabricant (8), and Yoder and Hofstad (19) showed that the Mycoplasma of avian sources are a heterogeneous group, and ten serotypes were described by those workers. Generic names were assigned to three of these groups by Edward and Kanarek (7). Reported as pathogenic for birds were the S-6 types by Yamamoto and Adler (18), Strain Iowa 695 by Yoder and Hofstad (19), and the agent of infectious synovitis of Chalquest and Fabricant (5). Kleckner (13) described other strains that were pathogenic under limited con-

Studies on the Pathology of Chronic Respiratory Disease of Poultry in India

Abstract THE role of pleuropneumonialike organisms (PPLO) in relation to chronic respiratory disease (CRD) of poultry has long been recognized by several workers (Nelson, 1935; Delaplane and Stuart, 1943; Markham and Wong, 1952; and Jungherr and Luginbuhl, 1952). However, the difficulty in producing the clinical manifestations of a natural outbreak by experimental inoculation of PPLO has been realized by many workers. Jungherr et al. (1955) reported the occurrence of histopathologic lesions of CRD in birds which did not show gross lesions and could be considered as uncomplicated cases of CRD. Smibert et al. (1959) also reproduced lymphofollicular lesions in air-sac of 4-week-old germ-free turkeys by inoculation of PPLO alone. Adler (1960), Jungherr (1960), Olesiuk and Van Roekel (1960) reported similar lesions by PPLO alone. However, the lympho-follicular lesions are reported to have been produced in lungs and air sacs by Fahey and Crawley virus alone (Johnson and Domermuth, 1956). Beasley et al.…

The Effect of Egg-Borne Mycoplasma on Embryonating Turkey Eggs

IT IS WELL established that Mycoplasma are egg transmitted and that this is the most common means of perpetuating chronic respiratory disease (CRD). Van Roekel et al. (1958), demonstrated grossly visible lesions in chicken embryos during the terminal stages of incubation as a result of Mycoplasma infection. The occurrence of embryos with such lesions was irregular in various hatches as well as in the progeny of individual dams. These authors found a relationship between air sac lesions in embryos and subsequent outbreaks of CRD in chicks.A limited number of observations has been made on the lesions produced by Mycoplasma in embryonating turkey eggs. McNeil and Hinshaw (1946) suggested that egg production and fertility are adversely affected by chronic respiratory disease. Hofstad (1957) reported a positive relationship between air sac lesions of poults and subsequent outbreaks of infectious sinusitis. He described caseation of the thoracic air sacs as the most …

Studies on “Air-Sac” Infection in Poultry : 3. Bacterial Flora of the Respiratory System of Poultry Associated with Avian PPLO (Pleuropneumonia-Like Organisms) in Natural Cases of Aerosaccitis

THE BACTERIAL flora of the respiratory system of poultry naturally infected with aerosaccitis (air-sac infection) has not been fully investigated.Fahey (1955) examined natural cases of aerosaccitis, and found Proteus spp., Escherichia coli, E. freundii, Aerobacter aerogenes, Alcaligenes faecalis, and Salmonella spp. in the air sacs, liver and pericardium. Staphylococci and streptococci were also isolated. Van Roekel et al. (1957) isolated E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., Micrococcus pyogenes var. albus and Streptococcus spp., from tracheas and lungs of birds with aerosaccitis. M. citreus and corynebacteria were only found in the lungs. E. coli, M. pyogenes var. albus, M. pyogenes var. aureus, streptococci and bacilli were isolated from the air sacs. Gram-negative organisms were isolated more frequently than gram-positive bacteria. Biddle and Cover (1957) reported finding species of the genus Escherichia more frequently than other organisms from tracheas and air sacs from birds with natural cases of aerosaccitis. Members of …

Case Report: Isolation of the Agent of Infectious Sinusitis of Turkeys from Naturally Infected Pheasants

THE purpose of this paper is to describe a naturally occuring transmission of the infectious sinusitis agent (Mycoplasma gallinarum) from turkeys to pheasants. Jungherr et al.1 in 1952 reported that the pheasant was susceptible to the CRD agent. Van Roekel et al.,2 in 1953, was able to infect pheasants both by inoculation and by contact exposure to artificially infected pheasants. Van Roekel et al. also observed that intrasinus, intratracheal, and air sac inoculation but not intramuscular inoculation, produced a disease syndrome in the pheasant similar to that observed in artificially infected chickens.

The Influence of Penicillin and Oxytetracycline in the Ration on Mortality, Lesions and Predominating Microflora in Experimental CRD

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION THE efficacy of oral treatment or prophylaxis of CRD with antibiotics or other chemotherapeutic agents has been evaluated by a number of investigators. Lowered mortality, greater gains, improved feed conversion and egg production, as compared with controls, have been reported for CRD infected birds receiving oxytetracycline 1 treatment (Van Roekel et al., 1952; Peterson et al., 1954; Lecce and Sperling, 1955; and Olesiuk et al., 1957). As an example, Peterson and co-workers (1954) reported a reduction in mortality due to CRD from 23.9% to 10.5% in field trials involving 36,000 birds when this antibiotic was fed at 100 gm. per ton of ration. Improvements in weight gain and feed conversion were also noted. On the other hand, no benefit due to the feeding of oxytetracycline was noted in a report by Fahey and Crawley (1955). Although there have been suggestions from field work that penicillin may be beneficial in CRD . . .

Effects of Antibiotics on Egg Production When Chickens are Naturally Infected with Chronic Respiratory Disease

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION ANTIBIOTIC supplements have been reported to give variable effects on egg production, mortality, and elimination of symptoms when fed to laying flocks under stress of chronic respiratory disease (Van Roekel et al., 1952; Cover 1955; Crawley and Fahey, 1955; and Brandly, 1955). It appears that some of the variable results obtained may be due to (1) the strain of pleuropneumonia-like organisms present, (2) the presence of other bacteria, (3) the amount of protein in the ration and (4) the type and level of antibiotic used (Sullivan, Thompson and Osteen, 1956; White-Stevens and Zeibel, 1954; Heuser, 1956; and Carlson et al., 1955). Yamamoto and Adler (1956) have reported that differences in sensitivity to antibiotics do occur between strains of avian PPLO when studied in vitro. They indicated that the tetracycline type of antibiotics were comparable in activity with achromycin, however terramycin was the most active. EXPERIMENTAL Studies have been made . . .

Egg Transmission of Infectious Sinusitis of Turkeys

T IS generally accepted that egg transmission is an important means of spread of infectious sinusitis of turkeys and of chronic respiratory disease of chickens-two diseases apparently caused by the same organism, Mycoplasma gallinarum. Jersted et al.5 obtained evidence of egg transmission of turkey sinusitis when they isolated the sinusitis agent from two poults from pipped eggs. Van Roekel et al.7 were able to isolate M. gallinarum from embryos and chicks originating from naturally infected chicken breeding flocks. Further evidence of egg transmission of these diseases has been obtained by others.12'3'6 The purpose of this report is to furnish additional evidence supporting egg transmission as an important factor in the spread of infectious sinusitis of turkeys.

Studies on Erysipelas in Turkeys

RYSIPELAS was first reported in New York State turkeys in 1938 by Van Roekel.15 Since then numerous cases of erysipelas have been found in New York5'11 and the disease is now recognized as a considerable economic problem in adult turkey flocks. In experimental work on turkey erysipelas some workers have had difficulty in maintaining virulence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae cultures and obtaining a consistent and high mortality in inoculated turkeys. Adler and Spencer', Dickinson et al.6, and Moynihan and Stovell10 reported that an irregular mortality resulted when susceptible turkeys were challenged by other than the intravenous route. Adler and Spencer' also mentioned that it was difficult to maintain virulence of E. rhusiopathiae cultures that were lyophilized. Peterson and Hymas12 reported good mortality when the intramuscular route was used in non-immune turkeys. The percutaneous (skin scarification) route as originally described by Fortner and Dinter7 was found to be the only way to reproduce erysipelas in swine consistently. Some work has been done on the efficacy of vaccines for protection of turkeys. Dickinson, et al.,6 reported a variable degree of protection to experimental challenge of vaccinated field flocks. Jerstad and Johns9 reported that vaccinated flocks

Influence of Chemotherapeutic Agents on Experimental Chronic Respiratory Disease in Chickens and Turkeys ,

VARIOUS chemotherapeutic agents have been investigated relative to their influence on experimental and natural chronic respiratory disease (CRD) infection. The reported investigations (Adler et al., 1956; Crawley and Fahey, 1955; Fahey and Crawley, 1954; Fahey and Crawley, 1955; Jungherr and Luginbuhl, 1952; Peterson, 1953; Van Roekel and Olesiuk, 1953) reveal that the results are extremely variable especially in instances where these chemotherapeutic agents were tested in experimental and natural infections. It is recognized that the results were influenced undoubtedly by a multiplicity of factors that may exist in the field and that it is difficult to measure the true value of the drug under such circumstances. Experimental uncomplicated CRD systemic infections have usually failed to respond in any degree to drug treatment. However, in vitro and in ovo studies have revealed that the CRD agent (pleuropneumonia-like organism, PPLO) may be sensitive to certain antibiotics and chemical agents (Domermuth and Johnson, …

Studies on Egg Changes Following Avian Respiratory Diseases: 1. Diseases Associated with Egg Changes

INFERIOR egg quality has frequently been observed following outbreaks of respiratory diseases described respectively as Newcastle disease (ND) (Lorenz and Newlon, 1944; Berg et al., 1947; Knox, 1950; Parnell, 1950; Quinn, 1950; Biswal and Morrill, 1954) and as infectious bronchitis (IB) (Fabricant, 1949; Van Roekel et al., 1950; Gordeuk and Bressler, 1950; Urban and Goodwin, 1953; Broadfoot and Smith, 1954). In spite of the recognized serious economic consequences of the egg quality sequelae, little is known of the intimate nature of the circumstances surrounding their occurrence. Although in most of the reports cited above, serological tests demonstrated that the flock had had ND or IB at some time, in only a few instances were these diseases proven to be involved in the outbreak associated with egg damage, e.g., by virus isolation or by serological test immediately before an d after the active symptoms. All but two of the reports concerned …

An in Vitro Comparison of Some Antibacterial Agents on a Strain of Avian Pleuropneumonia-like Organisms

IN OVO determinations of the effect of various antibacterial drugs against the agent of infectious sinusitis (IS) of turkeys have indicated that the agent is sensitive to streptomycin (Hitchner, 1949); streptomycin and aureomycin (Groupé and Winn, 1949); terramycin, streptomycin, aureomycin, nemomycin and Chloromycetin (Gross and Johnson, 1953); and magnamycin, terramycin, aureomycin and streptomycin (Wong and James, 1953).Similar in ovo determinations using the agent of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) of chickens have indicated that this agent is sensitive to streptomycin (Delaplane, 1949); aureomycin, terramycin and chloromycetin (Van Roekel et al., 1952); terramycin, streptomycin, aureomycin, neomycin and Chloromycetin (Gross and Johnson, 1953); and magnamycin, terramycin, aureomycin and streptomycin (Wong and James, 1953).To our knowledge in vitro drug sensitivity tests on pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO) isolated from avian sources have not been conducted. We feel that valuable etiological information, and information concerning the possible treatment of IS of turkeys and of CRD …