Abstract
A seven-week-old SPF chicken, inoculated at 4 weeks of age with chicken anemia virus, was puffed up, depressed and had ruffled feathers and a good body condition. Intestinal volvulus involving the jejunum and part of the duodenum forming two loops with one knob was observed. Microscopically, venous infarction of the obstructed loops, peri-portal and sub-lobular multifocal coagulative hepatic necrosis and granulomatous inflammation of cecal tonsils were observed. Gram staining revealed no bacteria in hepatic tissue; however, gram-positive bacilli were detected in the necrotic debris in the intestinal lumen. Immunosuppression might predispose to intestinal and cecal tonsils infection that progressed to volvulus. Loss of mucosal barrier in infarction might allow bacterial toxins and vasoactive factors to escape into the systemic circulation (toxemia) that responsible for the hepatic necrosis.
