Shedding and transmission of Chlamydia psittaci in experimentally infected chickens

Three avian strains of Chlamydia psittaci were inoculated into 8-day-old chickens by the intra-air-sac or peroral route. Uninoculated chickens were kept as cagemates with the air-sac-inoculated birds. The air-sac-inoculated birds had systemic infection, and chlamydiae were detected frequently in the livers, lungs, jejunums, and colo-rectums at high titers (greater than or equal to 10(5.0) ELD50). All three groups of birds had intermittent and persistent shedding of chlamydiae into feces during the 28-day observation period. In the cagemates, organisms were detected first in the colo-rectum 3 days postexposure and later in the liver, but not in the lung. Limited infection was seen particularly in the colo-rectum of the cagemates and perorally inoculated birds. Antibody response was markedly higher in the air-sac-inoculated chickens than in their cagemates and the perorally inoculated birds. These findings suggest that the colorectum is an important target organ for C. psittaci infection in chickens and that it may be the main site from which the organisms are shed into feces of chickens.