HYPOGLYCEMIA, ENTERITIS, AND SPIKING MORTALITY IN GEORGIA BROILER-CHICKENS - EXPERIMENTAL REPRODUCTION IN BROILER BREEDER CHICKS

The clinical signs, hypoglycemia, and mortality of ''spiking mortality syndrome'' were experimentally reproduced. Seven groups of day-old ma le primary broiler breeder chicks were orally inoculated with tissue a nd/or fecal-urate homogenates taken from field broilers with spiking m ortality syndrome and from field broilers with enteritis and/or runtin g-stunting syndrome. All homogenates used as inocula were shown by tra nsmission electron microscopy and negative staining to contain arenavi rus-like particles. Inocula produced from field broilers with spiking mortality syndrome contained the highest numbers of the arenavirus-lik e particles and produced the highest percentage of hypoglycemic chicks 13-15 days postinoculation after a 5-to-9-hour fast. These homogenate s also produced the most significant differences in mean plasma growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels. The significance of the arena-virus-like particles is unknown but is currently being inves tigated.