Cytotoxic activity of pathogenic Alcaligenes faecalis in turkey tracheal organ cultures

Turkey tracheal organ cultures were used to study the virulence of Alcaligenes faecalis isolants that have been shown to be pathogenic for turkey poults. Viable infected and noninfected tracheal rings were examined by phase-contrast microscopy, and fixed stained sections were examined by light microscopy. Alcaligenes faecalis at concentrations of 10(8) and 10(9) colony-forming units/ml caused ciliostasis, hydropic degeneration (characterized by blebbing of the plasma membrane, cellular swelling, and cytoplasmic vacuolation), and eventual sloughing of the ciliated epithelium. Only ciliated epithelial cells appeared affected. For comparison, other bacterial isolants not pathogenic for turkeys were tried in this system. These bacterial isolants included 3 isolants of A faecalis from human beings and isolants of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and A faecalis from turkeys. Inoculation of each of these bacterial cultures onto tracheal organ cultures failed to produce the lesions described.