Chicken -cholera 605 



Bacillus Cholera Gallinarum (Perroncito); Bacillus Chol- 

 era; Bacillus Avicidum; Bacillus Avisepticus; 

 Bacillus of Rabbit Septicemia; Bacillus 

 cuniculicida 



General Characteristics. — A non-motile, non-flageUated, non-sporogenous 

 non-liquefying, non-chromogenic, aSrobic and optionally anaerobic bacillus, 

 pathogenic for birds and mammals, staining by the ordinary methods, but not by 

 Gram's method, producing acids, indol, and phenol, and coagulating milk. 



The barns^rds of both Europe and America are occasionally visited by an 

 epidemic disease known as "chicken-cholera," Hiihnercholera, or cholera de poule, 

 which rapidly destrojrs pigeons, turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese. Rabbit- 

 warrens are also at times affected and the rabbits killed. * 



The bacillus responsible for this disease was first observed by Perroncito* in 

 1878, and afterward thoroughly studied by Toussaint and Pasteur, t 



Morphology. — The organisms are short and broad, with rounded ends, measur- 

 ing i X 0.4 to 0.6 II, sometimes joined to produce chains. Pasteur at first re- 

 garded them as diplococci, because the poles stain intensely, a narrow space 

 between them remaining almost uncolored. This peculiarity is very marked, and 

 careful examination is required to detect the mtermediate substance. The 

 bacillus does not form spores, is not motile, and has no flagella. | 



JThoinot and Masselin assert that the organism is motile. "Pr6cis de 

 Microbie," 2d ed., 1893. 



Staining. — The organism stains with ordinary anilin dye solutions, but not by 

 Gram's method. 



Cultivation. — Colonies. — Colonies upon gglatin plates appear after about two 

 days as small, irregular, white points. The deep colonies reach the surface 

 slowly, and do not attain to any considerable size. The gelatin is not liquefied. 

 The colonies appear under the microscope as irregularly rounded yellowish- 

 brown disks with distinct smooth borders and granular contents. Sometimes 

 there is a distinct concentric arrangement. 



Gelatin. — ^In gelatin puncture cultures a delicate white line occurs along the 

 entire path of the wire. Upon the surface the development is much more marked , 

 so that the growth resembles a nail with a good-sized flat head. If the bacilli be 

 planted upon the surface of obliquely solidified gelatin, a much more pronounced 

 growth takes place, and along the Une of inoculation a dry, granular coating is 

 formed. There is no liquefaction of the medium. 



Bouillon. — The growth in bouillon is accompanied by a slight cloudiness. 



Agar. — This growth, like that upon agar-agar and blood-serum, is white, 

 shining, rather luxiuriant, and devoid of characteristics. 



Potato. — Upon potato no growth occurs except at 37° C. It is a very insignifi- 

 cant, yellowish-gray, translucent film. 



Milk is acidulated and slowly coagulated. 



Vital Resistance. — The bacillus readily succumbs to the action of heat and 

 dryness. The organism is an obligatory aerobe. 



Metabolic Products.— -Indol and phenol are formed. Acids are produced in 

 sugar-containing media, without gas formation. 



Pathogenesis. — The introduction of cultures of this bacillus into chickens, 

 geese, pigeons, sparrows, mice, and rabbits is sufiicient to produce fatal septice- 

 mia. Feeding chickens, pigeons, and rabbits with material infected with the 

 bacillus is also sufficient to produce the disease. Guinea-pigs, cats, and dogs 

 seem immune, though they may succumb to large doses if given intraperitoneally. 

 The organism is probably harmless to man. 



Fowls ill with the disease fall into a condition of weakness and apathy, which 

 causes them to remain quiet, seemingly almost paralyzed, and the feathers 

 ruffled up. The eyes are closed shortly after the illness begins, and the birds grad- 

 ually fall into a stupor, from which they do not awaken. The disease is fatal in 

 from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. During its course there is profuse 

 diarrhea, with very frequent fluid, slimy, grasdsh-white discharges. 



Lesions. — The autopsy shows that when the badUi are introduced subcuta- 

 neously a true septicemia results, with the formation of a hemorrhagic exudate and 



* "Archiv. f. wissenschaftliche und praktische Thierheilkunde," 1879. 

 t "Compte-rendu de I'Acad. de Sci. de Paris," vol. xc. 



