Veterinary Services

Salmonella Typhimurium DT2 was recovered from adult racing pigeons from two lofts. One bird was submitted as a sudden death, and post mortem examination revealed fluid intestinal contents, a swollen liver and nodules in the lungs. Two birds from a different loft were submitted with purulent arthritis of an elbow joint – S. Typhimurium DT2 was isolated from the joint fluid from one of the two birds, but cultures from the faeces and viscera of both birds failed to detect the organism. Difficulties in recovering Salmonella from racing pigeons in such circumstances has been previously noted.

A Harris hawk died suddenly a few days after a small swelling had been observed on one leg. Post mortem findings were of an enlarged liver and pallor of the myocardium. Streptococcus agalactiae was recovered from the liver and spleen, and histopathology subsequently revealed changes of a peracute bacteraemia. Streptococcus agalactiae has been reported to be a cause of septicaemia in laboratory mice, and rats or mice may have been the source in this case, either as the cause of the bite observed earlier or as part of the diet of the bird.

A number of border canaries were examined in May. Egg peritonitis associated with heavy growth of E. coli was found in adult canaries from two different sites, and a heavy growth of E. coli was also isolated from a young canary in which hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and large numbers of avian gastric yeasts (‘megabacteria’) were found on post mortem examination. Moderate numbers of coccidial oocysts (Isospora or Atoxoplasma species) were found in the intestinal contents of a young border canary with very fluid intestinal contents and slight liver enlargement – deaths after weaning were reported in this group.