ISOLATION OF MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM FROM RINGNECK PHEASANTS (PHASIANUS-COLCHICUS)

Tuberculous lesions were observed at necropsy in the liver, spleen, an d intestine of five 10-month-old ringneck pheasants (Phasianus colchic us) from a flock of birds raised in captivity for breeding. Histologic al examination of the tissues revealed granulomas with associated acid -fast bacilli. The history and lesions are unusual in that very few ba cteria were found in any given lesion, the birds were all in good fles h when necropsied, and five birds from this same group at 6 months of age were observed to have acid-fast bacteria in the small intestine. M ycobacterium avium was isolated and serotyping was attempted, but the colonies were too dry to serotype.