CECAL SPIROCHETOSIS IN COMMERCIAL LAYING HENS

Cecal spirochetosis in chickens has been associated with enteric disea se and reduced egg production in the United States and Europe. This re port describes spirochete overgrowth of cecal mucosa in chickens from a flock of 100,000 commercial layers experiencing diarrhea and a 5% dr op in egg production. Spirochetes were demonstrated in the ceca by dar kfield and light microscopy. Apical surfaces of cecal enterocytes were covered by a dense layer of spirochetes aligned parallel to each othe r and perpendicular to the mucosal surface. Weakly beta-hemolytic, ind ole-negative spirochetes were isolated from the ceca on BJ media under anaerobic conditions at 42 C. Chicken cecal spirochetosis may represe nt an economically significant enteric disease of laying hens which ha s heretofore been infrequently recognized.