Veterinary Services

Poultry

The duodenum, jejunum and ileum of a free-range pullet aged 15 weeks were distended with fluid contents, with extensive necrosis of the mucosa. The contents of the distal small intestine were bloodstained. Wet preparations revealed large numbers of coccidial oocysts with the morphology of Eimeria maxima, and anaerobic cultures demonstrated heavy growths of Clostridium perfringens. Coccidiosis and secondary necrotic enteritis was diagnosed. The flock had not received any in-feed anticoccidial preparations. Faecal samples showed that many of the birds were excreting coccidial oocysts, but this was the only bird to die and the remainder looked healthy.

Three 24-week-old hens from a flock of 4,000 were submitted for postmortem examination. About 100 had died in the previous three weeks, mostly from cannibalism. All three birds were in good body condition and had lesions of egg yolk peritonitis.

Two adult chickens died within 24 hours of each other. Multiple necrotic nodules were present in the liver, spleen, lungs and intestine of both birds, and Ziehl-Neelsen stained smears were positive for acid-fast bacilli typical of Mycobacterium avium. Cause of death of both birds was liver haemorrhage, presumably reflecting the extensive damage to the livers caused by the tuberculous nodules.

Cage and aviary birds

Two blue and gold macaws (Ara ararauna) and a Meyer’s parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) were submitted with a history of sudden onset of respiratory distress and death. The deaths occurred at the same time as the owner was mixing a two-pot metal adhesive in the room adjacent to where the three birds were caged. The product contained styrene monomer and dibenzoyl peroxide as the hardener. The postmortem findings were consistent with acute irritation and damage to the respiratory tract (especially the lungs), resulting in asphyxiation.

Wild birds

Salmonellosis caused the deaths of a chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) and siskins (Carduelis spinus) from four locations. Salmonella Typhimurium DT 40 was isolated from the chaffinch and goldfinches, and S. Typhimurium DT 56 (variant) was recovered from the siskins.

Lead poisoning was confirmed in an adult mute swan (Cygnus olor) that had shown generalised weakness prior to death. The upper digestive tract was impacted with fibrous material, and a piece of lead shot was found in the gizzard.