Studies on “Air-Sac” Infection in Poultry

THE BACTERIAL flora of the respiratory system of poultry naturally infected with aerosaccitis (air-sac infection) has not been fully investigated. Fahey (1955) examined natural cases of aerosaccitis, and found Proteus spp., Escherichia coli, E. freundii, Aerobacter aerogenes, Alcaligenes faecalis, and Salmonella spp. in the air sacs, liver and pericardium. Staphylococci and streptococci were also isolated. Van Roekel et al. (1957) isolated E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., Micrococcus pyogenes var. albus and Streptococcus spp., from tracheas and lungs of birds with aerosaccitis. M. citreus and corynebacteria were only found in the lungs. E. coli, M. pyogenes var. albus, M. pyogenes var. aureus, streptococci and bacilli were isolated from the air sacs. Gram-negative organisms were isolated more frequently than gram-positive bacteria. Biddle and Cover (1957) reported finding species of the genus Escherichia more frequently than other organisms from tracheas and air sacs from birds with natural cases of aerosaccitis. Members of …