Abstract
The present authors isolated Bacillus, Escherichea, Klebsiella, Rettgerella and Enterobacter from baby chicks which had died from omphalitis. Omphalitis was reproduced only with the Bacillus, which was identified as B. cereus, and named 0-114 strain. Experimental baby chicks were inoculated with this organism into the yolk sac, intraperitoneously, subcutaneously or orally. Omphalitis was reproduced only when inoculated into the yolk sac. Inoculation of the spores of this organism into the yolk sac also gave results similar to those obtained by inoculation of the vegetative form. Omphalitis was also produced by inoculation of organisms inside the egg shell of pipped eggs.
From these results, B. cereus seems to be responsible for the development of omphalitis in baby chicks.
