CHAPTER VII 
FOWL PLAGUE 
Synonyms. Bird plague, fowl pest, bird pest, infectious peri- 
tonitis of birds, exudative typhus of birds, Brunswick bird plague; 
Peste aviarire, Peste des oiseaux (French) ; Gefliigelpest, Huhner- 
seuche, Huhnerpest, Vogelpest, Geflugelseuche, Kyanolophiea gallin- 
arum, Putenseuche (German) ; Peste aviaria, Epizoozia tifoide dell 
pollame, Tifo essudativo dei gallinacei (Italian). 
Characterization. Fowl plague is an acute infectious disease 
of birds, caused by an ultra microscopic virus. It runs a rapid 
course and causes high mortality. 
Geographical distribution. The disease has been reported in 
Italy, Germany, France and Belgium. 
Etiology. The virus is ultra microscopic, passes through porce- 
lain filters, and is believed to be a protozoan. The presence of the 
virus has been demonstrated in the blood, the nervous system, nasal 
and oral discharges, serous exudates and feces. 
The virus is believed. to be largely localized in the red blood cor- 
puscles. The virulence of the red corpuscles is such that death has 
been produced by a dose of .000,000,000,163,84 c.c. 
Dessication is not rapidly fatal to the virus for it has been ob- 
served to remain active for several weeks. It has been rendered 
inactive by exposure to direct sunlight or to a temperature of 65° 
to 70° ©. for a few minutes. The activity of the virus is destroyed 
rapidly by whitewash and the common disinfectants. 
Certain granules have been observed in the brain of geese, hens 
and pigeons dead of the disease. Ottolenghi believes that they are 
derived from the nuclei of the cells. Certain peculiarities suggest 
to him the supposition that they contain the virus of fowl plague. 
Other granules in the brains of geese and hens are differentiated 
from the former by the fact that the cytoplasm of the cell is involved 
in their formation. 
Pathogenicity. The disease has been observed in fowls, turkeys, 
peafowls, guinea-fowls, geese, pheasants, pigeons, ducks, and a large 
number of wild birds. Wild ducks when placed under conditions 
of semi-domestication contract the infection. 
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