S. L. ZARGAR
27
tuberculosis was confirmed in 33 cases, the percentage of infection being 54.1. A
detailed
study of all the carcasses showed that liver was affected
in 32
cases (97 per cent), spleen in 27 (81 8 per cent), intestines in 14 instances (42 4
per cent) kidneys in 12 (36.4 per cent), lungs in 5 (15.2 per cent) and peritonium
and gizzard in 4 (12.1 per cent). From seven cases (21.2 per cent) straw-coloured abnominal
fluid varying in quantity from 75 to 250 c.c. was recovered.
The lesions (Plate IV) consisted of roundish yellow nodules, varying in size
from a pinhead toabout 0.8 inches. In well developed cases, caseation had
developed. The cheesy material could easily be shelled out. In the beginning
small and scattered lesions were whitish or pearly in appearance and crystalline in
nature. When the lesions were numerous, the affected organs, usually spleen and
liver, were greatly increased in dimensions. The affected and enlarged liver had
invariably hard and leathery texture. The lesions in kidneys were very prominent
and mostly only one kidney was involved, the other remaining apparently quite
normal.
Diagnosis in each case was made by demonstrating acid-alcohol-fast bacilli in each
affected organ. The strain of the acid-fast organism under observation grew well on
plain egg and glycerine egg media. It did not appear to be of quite the usual virulence
of the avian strain, but its appearence was typically avian and it did not conform to
Dobson's description of powdery pitted colonies. It also types avian
Biological transmission experiments. Animal inoculation tests were carried out on
ducks, fowls, pigeons and rabbits. It was observed that the morbid material was
innocuous to pigeons and rabbits The two ducks which were injected intra-muscularly
died on the 39th and 109th day after inoculation. One duck and a fowl, which were
injected subcutaneously, died on the 49th and 103rd day after inoculation respectively.
One of the four ducks, which was fed with one gram of the material from tubercular
lesions, obtained from a duck destroyed in extremis died on the 114th day. In each
experimental bird varying degrees of macroscopic lesions were noticed only in the
liver and the spleen. Acid-alcohol-fast bacilli were demonstrated in each case. Other
experimental birds are under observation.
Tuberculin test. Eighty-two ducks in the flock were tested by various routes with
avian tuberculin received from the Imperial Veterinary Research Institute. The
observations made so far were not very encouraging and the avian tuberculin did not
appear to be of any value in the diagnosis However, attempts are being made to
obtain tuberculin prepared from the strain of acid-alcohol-fast bacilli encountered in
ducks at Nagpur. It is likely that this tuberculin may give us some reliable results.
This work was carried out and is being continued under a Poultry Research Scheme,
financed jointly by the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research and the Government
of Central Provinces and Berar. I am grateful to Mr. H. B. Shahi, M.Sc , M.R.C.V.S.,
D.T.V.M., Director of Veterinary Services, Central Provinces and Berar, for kind
guidance and help. I am equally grateful to Dr J. B. Polding, Ph.D., M.R.C.V.S.,
Research Officer, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, for typing the
organism and to Lt.-Col. G. F. Watkins of Royal Auxiliary Veterinary Corps for
extending me all facilities at the Military Poultry Farm, Nagpur, for this work.
REFERENCES
Christien, A., Germain and Raymond (1923). Rev. Tuberc., Paris 4, 25-66
Eber, A. (1924-25). Quoted by Gordont
Feldman, W. H. (1938). Avian Tuberculosis infection. Baillaire, Tindall and Cox., London
Garside, J. S., and Gordon, R. F. (1940). J. comp. path. 58, 80-89
Gordon, R. F., Garside, J. S., Dobson, N. and Reid, J. (1441). Vet. Rec. 53, 575-580
Klimmer, M. (1930). Quoted by Gordon.
Mohteda, S. N. (1943-44). Prog. Rep. Poultry Scheme (Hyderabad), 16-17
Naidu, P. M. N. (1942-13). Prog. Rep. Poultry Scheme (Mysore), 22
Spears, H. and Dobson, N. (1941). Vet. Rec. 53, 366-370
Volker (1924). Quoted by Gordon