68 



ihcv arc supplied wiili ])urc drinkini^' water in utensils which 

 can he thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Careful watch 

 should be kcj^t of the flock and all dead or sick fowls removed 

 at once and the yar<ls and house thoroug'hl}' disinfected. 



Coccidiosis of Foicls. 



One small dUlbreak of this intestinal ])arasitism has been 

 noticed among' two pens of five weeks old chicks at Kaimttki. 

 The owner had l)een losing his chicks at the rate of from five 

 to seven a day and had tinidly ap])eale(.l to this office for a 

 diagnosis of the affection and advice as to its crmtrol. 



Syiiipfoiiis. 



Those l^eginnmg to show signs of sickness ]iresented an im- 

 thriftv appearance, the feathers being ruffled u]), dirty and looked 

 as if they had been wet and all stuck together. They ai^peared 

 dumpy, would remain by themselves and while in the first stages 

 the appetite was good, in the final stages they ate but little and 

 so became much emaciated. Diarrhoea soon set in with its weak- 

 ening and debilitating effects, death taking place in from two to 

 three days. The drop]iings were somewhat of a clay color contain- 

 ing at times considerable blood which gave them a brick-red 

 appearance. 



Pathohi^ical .hiatonty. 



All the organs of the body appeared in a normal condition with 

 the exce])tion of the intestinal tract. The entire intestinal tract 

 was somewhat intlamed but the most striking change was noticed 

 in the caeca which were of a brick-red color and filled with gran- 

 ular fecal material deeply stained with blood and streaked with 

 white. The cloaca contained a fltiid. offensive material also I)rick- 

 ■ re<i in color, at times strongly resembling pure blood. 



E/io/o^y. 



Microsco])ical examination of the contents of tlu' ca^cs and 

 cloaca revealed immense numbers of the C'occidinm Aviun). This 

 cf)ccidium is usually 'dliptical in shape with a thin slvil and. in 

 the state cocyst, measures from 24 to 36 microns long bv 12 to 

 22 microns broad. It is i)asscd out of the body with the fece^ and 

 in the water or moist earth undergtKvs further develop1^ent to be 

 finally taken into the system again with contaminated food or 

 water and reach its final stage of (K'velopint'ut 'n the ipiibelial 

 cells of the intestines 



Intc-stinrd coccidiosis of the fowl often occurs as an epi/.ooiic 



