Research Note: Salmonella Infections of the Ovary and Peritoneum of Chickens

It has long been established that Salmonella pullorum and S. gallinarum may localize in the ovary of both chickens and turkeys, producing transovarian infection. S. typhimurium has been isolated occasionally from the ovary of turkeys (4). The literature does not appear to contain convincing evidence of ovarian infection of chickens with non-host-adapted salmonellae. Attempts to produce ovarian infection by artificial' exposure of adult hens have been either inconclusive or negative (1,2,3). Isolation of salmonellae from egg contents cannot be accepted as proof of transovarian infection, because of the possibility of shell penetration by the patho-