12 



Group IV. The five non-reacting birds in this group were so divided that 

 two were assigned to each of two positive-reacting birds, the fifth non-reacting 

 bird being retained as a control. The positive-reacting birds used in this group 

 were two whose corresponding non-reacting birds in Group III developed agglu- 

 tinins and yielded 5. piillorum on necropsy. The control and three of the four non- 

 reacting birds receiving feces remained negative to the tube agglutination test 

 throughout the experiment, and 5. puilorum was not isolated on necropsy. Bird 

 60984 first reacted during the fourth week and later developed an agglutination 

 titre of 1:5120. 5. puilorum was isolated from the peritoneum, ovary and an 

 abdominal cyst. 



Croup V. Bird 99382 died during the first week of the experiment and S. 

 puilorum was not isolated on necropsy. Of the remaining 13 non-reacting birds 

 11 remained negative to the tube agglutination test throughout the experiment, 

 and 5. puilorum was not isolated on necropsy. Birds 99380 and 99381 revealed 

 an agglutination titre during the ninth and fourteenth weeks, respectively. The 

 maximum agglutination titres for birds 99380 and 99381 were 1 : 5120 and 1 : 1280, 

 respectively. Bird 99381 revealed no gross lesions, and 5. puilorum was not 

 isolated. S. puilorum was isolated from the pericardial fluid, peritoneum, and 

 ovary of bird 99380. 



Conclusions 



1. While the incidence of infection is small, it is apparent that feces from 

 positive-reacting birds when force-fed to non-reacting birds may act as a vehicle 

 of transmission for puilorum disease. 



2. There is no apparent direct correlation between the agglutination titre 

 of the infected birds and the infectivity of their feces to transmit the disease to 

 susceptible fowl. Of the six positive-reacting birds whose corresponding non- 

 reacting birds developed agglutinins, four exhibited a relatively low agglutination 

 titre. 



Publication of this Document Approved by Commission on Administration and Finance 



2500-S-'3.5. No. 5388 



