SECTION VI 



Blood Diseases 



Under blood diseases come the septicemias, as 

 apoplectiform septicemia, septicemia of geese, ty- 

 phoid of fowls, and spirochetosis, all caused by 

 germs which live and multiply in the blood stream. 



Apoplectiform Septicemia in Chickens 

 and Pigeons 



This disease is due to the Streptococcus gallin- 

 arum, which grows in long or short chains. It 

 can be readily grown upon artificial media and 

 does not liquefy gelatin. Experimental inocula- 

 tions with this organism killed the following ani- 

 mals : chickens, mice, rabbits and swine. It does 

 not kill guinea pigs or dogs. The germ multiplies 

 in the blood. 



Symptoms. — Apoplectiform septicemia is rapid 

 in its progress. The bird shows great prostra- 

 tion, feathers ruffled, loss of appetite, and the con- 

 dition rapidly terminates in death. Often birds 

 die in from twelve to twenty-four hours after the 

 first symptoms appear. Birds in which no symp- 

 toms of the disease had been noticed may be 

 found dead under the roosts. This disease often 

 causes great loss to, pigeon fanciers. 



Postmortem Findings.— The spleen is enlarged, 

 dark and soft; focal necrosis is noted in the kid- 

 neys, spleen and liver. Cloudy swelling also oc- 

 curs preceding this state. Pneumonia may .T)e 

 present. The germs can be isolated in pure cul- 

 ture from any of the organs named. 



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