In inldilion to its importance in (llffcnntiaiin.i; tuberculosis 

 it Is in itself a malady worthy ot careful attention. The fact 

 that it has already appeared In two flocks In the District of 

 Columbia and also In the State of North Carolina and Virginia, 

 shows that the infestins cestode is quite widely distributed in 

 this country. It Is highly probable that the total loss it 

 occasions both fi'om deaths and from the shrinkage of poultry 

 products, due to the chronic course of the disease it produces, 

 is very large. • • • 



Diagnosis. — Tuberculosis is. as before stated, the only known 

 disease tor which this nffoction Is liable to be mistaken, and it 

 is of much importance that the two diseases should not be 

 confounded. The diagnosis has not. in my experience, been diffi- 

 cult, as In every case the attached tapeworms were readily 

 detected upon a close examination of the intestinal contents, or 

 of the mucous membrane of the infected portion of the intes- 

 tine. However, the worms ai-e iiuite small and could easily be 

 overKx>ked in a hurried or cursory examination. In case of 

 doubt. If the affected intestine is opened and the mvicous sur- 

 face washed earef\illy in a gentle strcom of water, the small 

 worms win be observed hanging to the mucous membrane. 

 This discovery. In the absence of lesions in the liver or other 

 organs, would warrant the diagnosis of the tapeworm disease. 

 .Mthough much is written concerning tuberculosis In fowls, 

 especially in Europe, the Investigations of poultry diseases by 

 this Bureau have thus far shown that it is not common among 

 fowls In this country. 



T.VPKWOiat-INKKCTKP V^OWt-S .\S FOOD 



Xoiio of the tappAvorms of birds are transmissible (o 

 man in any stajie of their develoinnent. and the pre 

 senee of tapeworms in the intestine of fowls does not 

 in itself warrant the eondemnation of tlieir bodies as 

 an artiele of food. 



rKKVKNTU'iN 



From the natnre of the intennediate hosts (fresh 

 water ornstaceans) of the tapeworms of aquatic birds 

 it is evident that nothinsr can be done to prevent the 

 intrtxliiction of larval tapeworms into dueks and 

 ireese, if these animals are allowed to visit ponds. 



