BACTERIUM PULLORUM INFECTION IN FOWL. 79 



Distribution of Fowl Typhoid in Maftsachuscttst. 



During the seasons of 1919-20 and 1920-21, ol)servations were made on 

 all specimens sent to the laboratory for diagnosis, especially to note the 

 presence of Bact. sanguinarium. During that time more than 600 different 

 specimens were examined, and this anaerogenie, non-motile bacillus which 

 was maltose-dextrine-dulcite positive was isolated but six times, — three 

 times in the season of 1919-20 and three times in the season of 1920-21. 

 These cases exhibited all the post-mortem findings peculiar to this disease. 

 Especially noticeable were the enlarged spleen and the marked leukemic 

 condition. There were, however, several maltose-dextrine-dulcite negative 

 forms isolated which were anaerogenie, these classifying as Bact. pullonmi 

 B. During this same period 289 chicks, sent here with a history of bacillary 

 white diarrhoea, were examined, and the true Bact. pullorum was isolated 

 from all but one. This one strain was anaerogenie, and persistently gave 

 a faint acid reaction in maltose when methyl red was used as an indicator. 

 From this it would appear that in this one chick we were dealing with an 

 organism which came close to the Bact. sanguinariuvi type. From these 

 findings the writer is led to believe that the fowl typhoid infection in 

 Massachusetts is infrequent, and that the Bact. pullorum B type is far 

 from common. In our work of the last few years we have never isolated 

 from eggs a Bad. pullorum form which was anaerogenie. All cultures have 

 been aerogenic and have produced little or no acid in maltose, dextrine 

 or dulcite. 



Although this represents but two years' observations, there appears to 

 be sufficient e\adence to indicate that fowl typhoid is not widelj' distributed 

 in Massachusetts; that it is not transmitted by the egg; and that Bact. 

 pullorum of the B iypQ is found frequently in adult stock. 



Does either Bact. Pullorum or Bact. Sanguinarium play Any Part in the 

 so-called "Paralysis" so widely distributed in Massachusetts? 

 During the course of the studies concerning the diagnosis of Bact. 

 pullorum, there were brought to the laboratory manj^ birds suffering with 

 the so-called "paralj'sis," which even now is assuming a vast economic 

 importance in the poultry industry in Massachusetts. The weakness of 

 the legs and the listlessness of these birds were not essentially different 

 from conditions produced in rabbits when inoculated with pure cultures 

 of Bact. ptdlorum. With this in mind, all specimens exhibiting the paralytic 

 symptoms were examined bacteriologically,.with special reference to Bact. 

 pullorum and Bact. sanguinarium. There were 83 paralytic specimens 

 examined, and from 5 of them only was isolated Bact. ptdlorum of the 

 aerogenic type. None of the 83 specimens exhibited the marked enlarged 

 spleen and leukemic conditions found in fowl tyjjhoid, as laiown to us in 

 this laboratory. The anaerogenie maltose-dextrine-dulcite positive 

 organism of fowl typhoid was not isolated from any of the 83 specimens. 

 Cultural examinations were made of liver tissue, spleen, intestinal mucosa. 



