448 VETERINARY BACTERIOLOGY 



Spirochceta novyi. It is probable that a disease found in India 

 is caused by still another organism. 



Spirochaeta anscrina (or Gallinartmi) 



Synonyms. Spirillum anserina; Spirochceta gallinarum; Sp. 

 Marchouxi; Sp. nicottei. 



Disease Produced. Spirochetosis, spirillosis, or septicemia in 

 ^ geese and domestic fowls. 



Sacharoff, in 1890, described the Spirochceta anserina as the 

 cause of an acute septicemia in geese, and the same organism was 

 studied by Gabritschewsky in 1898. Marchoux and Salimbeni, 

 in 1903, reported a septicemia or spirochetosis of domestic fowls 

 in Brazil. Since that time similar organisms have been reported 

 from many places. There is considerable difference of opinion 

 as to the identity of the spirochetes isolated from the goose and 

 the domestic fowl, and from the latter in various parts of the world. 

 The peculiarities in virulence are such that the problem can be 

 solved only with considerable difficulty. The organisms are 

 morphologically identical. They are at least closely related, and 

 are, therefore, grouped together. The name Sp. anserina was the 

 one first used, and, therefore, has priority. The name Sp. gal- 

 linarum, however, is more commonly met with in literature. 



Distribution. The disease has been reported from Russia and 

 the Caucasus, northern central, and southern Africa, southern 

 Asia, and South America. It probably is wide-spread. 



Morphology and Staining. The organism of fowl spirillosis is a 

 tenuous spiral 10 to 20 u in length, with an average of one spiral 

 per micron in length. It is actively motile. No flagella have 

 been demonstrated. According to Balfour, the organism under- 

 goes changes in the body of the intermediary host, the tick (Argas 

 persicus) corresponding closely to those described above for Sp. 

 duttoni in the tick (Ornithodorus moubata). The organism pro- 

 duces the same characteristic chromatin granules. Chicks in- 

 oculated with material showing these granules, but no spirochetes, 

 are found to develop typical spirochetosis. 



The organism may be easily demonstrated when living -and 

 motile. Carbol-fuchsin, Leishman,* and Giemsa's stains may be 

 in the preparation of mounts. 



