DISEASE IN HAND-REARED GROUSE 437 



nodules which later break down in the center to form ulcers. These ulcers increase in size 

 and in many instances coalesce to produce larpe areas of dead intestinal lining. In most of 

 the fatal cases in grouse, perforation of the intestine by one or more of these ulcers occurs 

 with resulting peritonitis. 



Of the other organs, the liver is most often affected. Occasionally small, white, necrotic foci 

 are scattered throughout. More often the liver is covered with a translucent gelatinous exu- 

 date. In a few instances, where birds survived for two weeks or longer, the liver contained 

 round, white caseous nodules resembling, somewhat, the lesions of tuberculosis. 



Dissemination. In a severe outbreak of ulcerative enteritis in grouse, reported by Levine™, 

 it was shown that the disease could be easily transmitted to quail by feeding them feces or 

 intestinal lesions of diseased grouse. The birds usually appeared unwell four days after in- 

 fection and death usually followed from one to two days later. Houseflies, after having been 

 allowed to feed on infective material, also transmitted ulcerative enteritis to susceptible quail. 

 The flies undoubtedly acted as mechanical carriers of the causative agent. 



Practically all outbreaks of this disease, within recent years, have been reported in artifi- 

 cially reared birds which, of necessity, were closely confined and relatively crowded. Under 

 those conditions, fecal contamination of feed and water is relatively easy, thereby facilitating 

 rapid spread of the disease. 



Most often the origin of an outbreak is rather difficult to trace. In one instance a clue 

 as to the source of infection in grouse was uncovered when it was found that an ingredient 

 of the ration was being prepared in a laboratory where heavy losses among quail from ulcer- 

 alive enteritis were occurring. On other occasions, contamination with chicken feces was sus- 

 pected but no definite evidence could be found. 



The possibility that there may be carriers of disease among quail and grouse should not 

 be overlooked. Undoubtedlv. future investigational work will clear up the many questions 

 about ulcerative enteritis which are still unanswered at present. 



Control. Once an outbreak of ulcerative enteritis has started, steps should be taken to 

 have birds removed from the flock at the first manifestations of disease. These birds should 

 be isolated and placed in quarantine. Every attempt should be made to get the non-affected 

 birds on wire, if possible. 



It should be emphasized that control of flies should be an integral part of the sanitary 

 precautions observed in combatting an outbreak of ulcerative enteritis. Screening with gauze 

 or other netting may be as important as all the other procedures combined in limiting its 

 spread. In a number of instances the immediate screening of suspected pens on positive 

 diagnosis of "quail disease" has halted the spread of the infection without resorting to the 

 costly and difficult procedure of isolating suspects from the flock by moving them to sepa- 

 rate quarters. 



Needless to say. all ordinary sanitarv precautions should be rigidly enforced. Attendants 

 should be warned against tracking of the infection from one pen to another. It is very de- 

 sirable to have separate workers tend the different groups of pens, so that the men who feed 

 and water the isolated and suspected birds do not come into contact with the healthy grouse. 



Carcasses of victims of the disease should be incinerated or deeply buried and should never 

 be accessible to flies. Control of rats and mice is desirable. 



Though rearing birds on wire has largely eliminated losses from this disease in later years, 

 from time to time sporadic cases occur. These are readily brought under control. The source 



