A Natural Infection of Quail by B. Tularense.

Abstract

Studies indicating that several species of game birds are susceptible to experimental invasion by B. tularense have previously been reported by Parker and Spencer 1 and by Green and Wade. 2 , 3 These findings indicated that a careful search might reveal natural cases of tularemia in birds.

Parker has recently demonstrated that experimental tularemia may be produced in quail by feeding infective material. The infections so produced were fatal. In a report of this work, Parker 4 cites 2 cases of human tularemia in which the infection may have been obtained from quail.

The experimental demonstration and subsequent isolation of B. tularense in a quail dying in the wild is here reported. A flock of 10 or 12 quail living near the outskirts of Minneapolis was under the observation of near-by residents. On February 17th, at the height of Minnesota winter, the covey, which had apparently decreased in number to 6, was accidentally flushed. One bird was unable to fly and was picked up. A second flew blindly into the side of a building but resumed flight in another direction. The 4 remaining birds were described as having an unsteady and unnatural flight. The captured quail was taken inside a house and died during the night. The next day it was brought to the laboratory for examination. As the carcass was frozen, necropsy was delayed until the following day. This quail is designated as No. 1.

On February 21st, another resident of the community followed the tracks of a single quail and found the bird lying dead at the bottom of a snow bank. He buried the carcass, which was already frozen, in the snow bank. Three days later it was picked up, but was not brought to the laboratory for necropsy until February 26th, 5 days after the bird was found dead. This quail is designated as No. 2.