FREQUENCY OF INTESTINAL SPIROCHETES IN BIRDS, RATS, AND PIGS FROM A ZOOLOGIC COLLECTION AND PRIVATE RHEA FARMS IN OHIO

A survey for intestinal spirochetes in birds, rats, and pigs was condu cted in a zoologic collection and three private rhea farms in Ohio in 1992 to identify a potential source of the strongly beta-hemolytic spi rochete associated with necrotizing typhlocolitis and death in juvenil e common rheas (Rhea americana). From the zoologic collection, five we akly beta-hemolytic spirochetes were isolated from cloacal swabs obtai ned from 122 birds representing eight orders, 11 families, and 37 spec ies. Ten weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes were isolated from ceca of 26 wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped on the same premises. Three weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes were isolated from cloacal swa bs obtained from 21 juvenile rheas (Rhea americana) on three private r hea farms. None of the birds or rats had clinical intestinal disorders . The data indicated that weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes were prese nt in intestinal tracts of birds and in ceca of rats and suggested tha t weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes were part of the normal flora. A s ource of the strongly beta-hemolytic spirochete was not identified.