Related Experiment Videos
Skeletal lesions associated with a naturally occurring poult enteritis
R W Perry1, G N Rowland, J R Glisson
1Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
Avian Diseases
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Poult enteric disease caused skeletal and parathyroid changes, impacting growth and mineral balance. Pathogens like Cryptosporidium and rotavirus were identified, but a specific cause remained undetermined.
Area of Science:
- Poultry pathology
- Comparative pathology
- Avian medicine
Background:
- Enteric diseases in young poultry can lead to significant economic losses.
- Previous outbreaks on the litter caused diarrhea, mortality, and stunting in poults.
- Understanding the systemic effects of enteric disease is crucial for poultry health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical and pathological effects of enteric disease on poult bone and parathyroid glands.
- To compare affected poults with healthy controls.
- To identify potential enteric pathogens associated with the observed disease.
Main Methods:
- One-day-old poults were exposed to contaminated litter.
- Clinical signs, weight gain, and shank length were monitored.
- Bone and parathyroid gland tissues were examined pathologically.
- Intestinal and fecal samples were analyzed for pathogens.
Main Results:
- Exposed poults showed variable size, decreased weight gain, and reduced shank length.
- Pathological bone changes included narrowed growth plates and reduced trabeculae.
- Parathyroid glands exhibited hyperplasia in affected poults.
- Cryptosporidium, rotavirus, paramyxovirus, and Salmonella were detected in exposed poults.
Conclusions:
- Enteric disease in poults disrupts skeletal development and mineral homeostasis.
- Parathyroid gland hyperplasia suggests a response to altered mineral balance.
- While several pathogens were identified, the specific etiology of the enteric disease was not definitively determined.