EXPERIMENTAL INDUCTION OF RENAL LESIONS IN CHICKENS

The present work was conducted to investigate the possibility of induc ing renal lesions in chickens subcutaneously or orally inoculated with E. coli [E. coli O1K67(B-12)], Staphylococcus aureus and Actinomyces pyogenes. The strains were previously isolated from the kidneys of bro ilers showing different pathological lesions. The gross lesions observ ed in the kidneys included enlargement, congestion, haemorrhagic spots in addition to dilatation and disension of the ureters. The microscop ic lesions were mainly interstitial nephritis. The lesions were acute and changed gradually to subacute or chronic nephritis. The glomerular lesions were not common. The wall of the primary branches of the uret er and the ureters was heavily infiltrated with inflammatory cells, al so granular and albuminous casts were seen in the renal tubules. The l esions were not related to the inoculated pathogen, although they were more severe in chickens inoculated with E. coli and Staph, aureus mor e than in Actinomyces pyogenes. Reisolation of the inoculated pathogen s was more successful from the birds inoculated subcutaneously than fr om those infected orally.