A. Arakawa

Clostridial population and the intestinal lesions in chickens infected with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria necatrix

Chickens infected with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria necatrix were examined bacteriologically and pathologically. When chickens were inoculated with 1.0 x 10(8) C. perfringens and/or 2 x 10(4) E. necatrix sporulated oocysts, populations of C. perfringens in the intestinal contents were examined on 3, 5 and 7 days after E. necatrix inoculation. In both groups infected with E. necatrix, the mean clostridial counts were significantly higher than those of uninfected controls. The concurrent infection had no enhancing effects on increasing the clostridial population more than E. necatrix-alone. Mortality of 4-day-old chickens inoculated on 5 consecutive days with C.perfringens after receiving E. necatrix was higher than those of chickens inoculated with the both organisms. However, intestinal lesions of the concurrently infected group were not different from E. necatrix-alone-infected group on 5 and 7 days after the coccidial infection. When chickens received a large dose (1.5 x 10(9)) of C. perfringens after the inoculation with E. necatrix, edema in the duodenum through jejunum were observed early after the bacterial broth inoculation. These results suggest that the concurrent infection with E. necatrix and C. perfringens increases clostridial population in the intestine of the chickens and has synergic effects on mortality and edema in the upper intestine.

Analysis of splenic and thymic lymphocyte subpopulations in chickens infected with Salmonella enteritidis.

Lymphocytes expressing CD3, CD4, CD8, pan lymphocyte, IgA, IgG and IgM cell surface antigens were assessed by in the spleen and thymus of chickens following infection with Salmonella enteritidis using flow cytometric analysis. At 6 days post primary infection and 2 days post secondary infection with S. enteritidis, the percentages of IgA+ and IgM+ lymphocytes in the spleen were significantly increased (P < 0.05). At 2 days post secondary infection with S. enteritidis, the percentage of CD4+ T lymphocyte in the spleen and CD8+ T lymphocyte percentage in the thymus were significantly increased (P < 0.05). These results indicate that S. enteritidis infection induces changes in the spleen and thymus that reflect the dynamics of the host protective immune response.

EVALUATION OF PLASMA CHEMISTRY AND HAEMATOLOGICAL STUDIES ON CHICKENS INFECTED WITH EIMERIA TENELLA AND E ACERVULINA

Plasma chemistry and haematological studies were conducted on chickens with coccidiosis. Male White Leghorn chickens, of two weeks old, were inoculated with 5 x 104 Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts or with 1 x 106 E acervulina sporulated oocysts. Blood samples were taken four, seven and 11 days after inoculation. A wet chemistry system was applied to measure the plasma activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, amylase and lactate dehydrogenase and the concentrations of creatine, total biirubin, urate, total cholesterol, total protein, albumin, glucose and triglycerides. A dry chemistry system was applied to measure sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium. The number of red blood cells and packed cell volume were determined by a micro cell counter and blood pH was measured with a blood gas analyser. The erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, sodium and chloride levels in the chickens infected with E tenella were significantly (P<0.05) lower than those of the uninfected controls. The significant decrease in blood pH of the chickens infected with E acervulina suggests malabsorption associated with duodenal lesions induced by the infection.