BACTERIOLOGICAL, SEROLOGICAL, HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL FINDINGS IN LAYING HENS WITH NATURALLY ACQUIRED SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS PHAGE TYPE-4 INFECTION

Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 was isolated from the reproductive tract of 10 (27 per cent) of 37 laying hens from three small flocks with a naturally acquired infection. The rapid slide agglutination test with Salmonella pullorum-antigen was positive in 24 (64-9 per cent) of the 37 hens including the six hens in which the ovary was colonised and the 10 in which the oviduct was colonised. By immunohistochemical labelling S enteritidis was demonstrated in seven of eight culture-positive hens on the surface of and within the epithelial cells in the lumen and in the tuberine glands of the oviduct.