CECAL SPIROCHETOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH SERPULINA PILOSICOLI IN CAPTIVE JUVENILE RING-NECKED PHEASANTS

Spirochetes similar to those described in the ceca of broilers with di arrhea and in laying hens with decreased egg production and growth wer e identified in the ceca of captive-raised juvenile ring-necked pheasa nts (Phasianus colchicus). The birds were submitted for diagnostic inv estigation of an illness characterized by a seromucoid ocular discharg e, sneezing, swollen infraorbital sinuses, and weight loss. In additio n to cecal spirochetosis, the birds had mild enteric coccidiosis, tric homoniasis, and nematodiasis (Heterakis spp.); esophageal capillariasi s; and respiratory mycoplasmosis. Weakly beta-hemolytic spirochetes is olated from the ceca of one pheasant were identified as Serpulina pilo sicoli with the use of a 16S rRNA sequence-specific polymerase chain r eaction amplification assay. Diffuse cecal enterocyte attachment was r eproduced in a 1-day-old chick challenged with the pheasant S. pilosic oli isolate. Immunohistochemical staining of sections of ceca from the pheasant and challenged chick with a Serpulina spp. flagellar antigen -specific monoclonal antibody confirmed spirochetal attachment to ceca l enterocytes. The etiologic significance of the spirochete infection is unknown because respiratory signs and multiple gastroenteric pathog ens dominated the clinicopathologic manifestations and an intestinal d isorder was not a clinical complaint.