AN OUTBREAK OF INFECTIOUS-HEPATITIS IN COMMERCIALLY REARED OSTRICHES ASSOCIATED WITH CAMPYLOBACTER-COLI AND CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI

A disease causing high morbidity and mortality was observed in young o striches from six properties in southeast Queensland, Australia. The d isease affected birds from 2-8 weeks of age and was characterised clin ically by bright-green urates and pathologically by severe necrotic he patitis. The liver lesions resembled those of vibrionic hepatitis in o ther avian species. Campylobacter coli was isolated from the livers of affected ostriches from five of the six properties. Campylobacter jej uni subsp. jejuni was isolated from birds from the remaining property. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-based (PFGE) typing of representativ e isolates indicated that trade of infected birds between farms was an important factor in the spread of C. coli. Phenotypic and genotypic d ata suggest a clonal variant of the principal outbreak type may accoun t for the remaining cases from which C. coli was found. Conventional b iochemical test results and PFGE clearly distinguished the C. jejuni s train isolated from the geographically remote farm from the outbreak o f C. coli type. We believe this to be the first definitive report of a vian hepatitis associated with C. coli. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.