ENTERITIS (SO-CALLED RUNTING STUNTING SYNDROME) IN GEORGIA BROILER CHICKS

So-called runting stunting syndrome (RSS) afflicts chicks worldwide. T he present study in Georgia chicks is the first report of unique histo logic features of RSS pathology in chicks in the United States. Variou s combinations of avian nephritis virus, enterovirus-612, and reovirus were always isolated from. chick small intestines. Ultrastructurally, only small round viruses were seen in small intestinal lesions. Altho ugh finding intralesional virus in small intestinal segments from chic ks with signs and gross lesions consistent with RSS constitutes a reas onable criterion for making a diagnosis of this disease, chicks withou t intralesional viruses and with bacterial or protozoal enteritis may also be small and abnormally feathered. Because just what constitutes RSS remains a diagnostic dilemma, we recommend that the use of the imp recise acronym ''RSS'' be discontinued.