Direct immunofluorescent technique in diagnosis of experimental salmonellosis of turkeys

Young turkey poults were experimentally infected with Salmonella heidelberg to evaluate the standard tube agglutination test (TAT) and direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT), and to correlate results of these procedures with the spread pattern of the organisms in the feces using conventional culture procedures for the detection and isolation of S heidelberg from cloacal swabs. The DFAT test detected fecal excretors considerably longer than bacterial isolation and gave better results. The cultural method was not the most reliable and sensitive method, especially when compared with the DFAT. All control birds remained negative bacteriologically serologically, and with the DFAT during the observation period.