Abstract
Ulcerative enteritis of quail (so-called quail disease) constitutes the most important disease problem in propagation of quail in captivity. Many game breeders have had their entire stock decimated or practically wiped out by an epizootic of this disease. Once introduced on a game bird farm, the infection is extremely difficult to eradicate. Heavy losses from this disease have occurred in wild trapped quail held in concentration stations for restocking purposes. This indicates that the disease may profoundly affect the population density of wild quail in their natural habitat.
The purpose of this communication is (a) to record the previously unrecognized† specific cause of quail disease, (b) to describe the technical method by which others can readily confirm this, (c) to direct attention to the chronic carrier as a factor in maintaining and spreading the infection and (d) to record observations indicating transmission of the infection to young quail chicks through eggs laid by carriers.
The disease is characterized-by numerous lentil-shaped intestinal ulcers located mostly in the lower third of the ilium and less numerous in the caeca. They vary in size from pin-point to half the circumference of the intestine or even larger. The small pin-point lesions are buried deep in the mucous membrane, between, and involving, the villi. Larger lesions present an open, crater-like ulcer, with very much thickened base.
In microscopic sections through the very small lesion one finds it to consist of a mass of necrotic tissue, containing large numbers of Gram-negative bacilli which can be seen to be invading the surrounding living tissue. In sections through larger lesions with open ulcers one finds this same Gram-negative bacillus and also many other secondary organisms, especially near the surface.
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