SPIROCHAETOSIS IN FOWLS 305 
“after-phase” bodies in fowl spirocheetosis in Queensland and Gilruth 
did not observe endoglobular forms in the Victoria outbreak. Accord- 
ing to Brumpt the spirochetes in fowls differ according to locality. 
He subdivides them into Sp. gallinarum vel Marchouxi (Brazil), 
Sp. Neveuxi (Senegal) and Sp. nicollei (Tunis). For a more detailed 
description of the spirochetes and their classification it is necessary to 
look up references made to the original articles on this subject. 
The ticks that transmit the spirochetes are nocturnal parasites 
which feed during the night and hide away between crevices, cracks 
and behind objects during the day. At night they leave their hiding 
places and crawl on the fowls which they bite and extract blood and at 
the same time inoculate their host with other spirochetes which they 
have obtained from an infected fowl. It is believed that the organism 
can pass through the mucous membrane of the alimentary tract. 
The red mite of fowls is not acarrier. Fowl lice are said to be capable 
of transmitting Sp. granulose penetrans balfour. Levaditi has cul- 
tivated the spirochetes. He used the collodion sacs filled with fowl 
serum previously heated to a temperature of 72° C. and placed them 
in the peritoneal cavity of the rabbit. 
Symptoms. There are two distinct types of the disease, acute and 
chronic. In the acute form a rise of temperature and intense thirst 
are the first manifestations. These are followed by a loss of appetite, 
roughening of feathers, loss of flesh, dullness, diarrhea and drowsiness. 
The crisis occurs in one or two days after somnolence starts in. At 
this time the temperature falls, the comb becomes bluish red in color 
and death follows, usually in convulsions, or convalescence begins. 
Recovery may be apparent when the legs become paralyzed and in 
some cases the wings also. The chronic form may follow the crisis 
or arise independently. The fowls become paralyzed in the legs and 
sometimes in the wings and neck so that walking becomes difficult 
and finally impossible. The paresis is rather slow in development 
being first detected by the fowl having difficulty in using its feet. In 
some cases recovery follows the paralysis but in others they become 
gradually emaciated and finally death follows. 
In the chronic form the spirochetes are not found in the blood. In 
the acute stage the spirochetes may be detected early in the crisis 
when they rapidly disappear. According to Nuttall and also Leva- 
diti the organisms are destroyed by lysis. Gabritschewsky and 
Uhlenhuth found parasiticidal substances in the blood of infected 
fowls before the crises was reached. 
