Clostridium perfringens infection in turkey poults

Necropsy of dead and sick 5-day-old poults from a flock of 12,500 Broad-Breasted White turkeys having high early mortality (685 the first week) revealed rather large inflamed retained yolk sacs with semiliquid contents, ascites, and swollen greenish-colored livers. Cultures of livers and yolk sacs were negative by standard aerobic procedures for salmonella and any other bacterial pathogens. At the beginning of the 4th week, more poults were necropsied and found to have swollen livers with necrotic foci grossly visible, and a necrotic inflammation of the midintestinal tract extending anteriorly from attachment of the yolk stalk. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from livers and yolk remnants by anaerobic culture.