Spinal Abscess in Culled Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Eighty-four diseased and defective chickens before shipment for meat inspection were obtained from broiler farms and examined pathologically and bacteriologically. Most affected birds showed depression, stunted growth, lameness and paralysis. At autopsy, more than half of all chicken had spondylopathy (59/84 cases),and spinal (corpus vertebrae) abscesses were seen in the affected area in nearly one half of them (27/59 cases). Histopathologically, granulomatous inflammation with gram positive cocci and gram negative bacilli was observed in the vertebral abscess. Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus spp. were detected by the abscess in affected corpus vertebrae and other infectious lesions in a bacteriological inspection. Staphylococcus aureus was detected from only one sample from group C.