Pathobiological and Immunohistochemical Findings in Broiler Chickens Naturally Infected with Salmonella Enterica Serotype Gallinarum Biotype Gallinarum

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of Salmonella enterica serotype Gallinarum biotype Gallinarum (Salmonella gallinarum) on broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and fifty broiler chickens (25 of each flock) were selected from six outbreaks of Salmonellosis from commercial poultry farms showing typical signs of the disease. The biological, serological and microbiological investigations on various samples from the liver, spleen, lungs, intestine, kidney, caeca and heart were carried out. Investigations showed that overall, 12% of the samples were found positive for Salmonella gallinarum. The liver had the highest count (Plt;0.001), followed by spleen, lungs, intestine and caeca and least in heart and kidney. Histopathological findings showed sinusoidal congestion, hepatic cord necrosis, intestinal degeneration, nephritis and tubular necrosis in kidneys. All the organs showed localization of bacteria except in the heart. It may be concluded that the liver was affected significantly by Salmonella gallinarum as it harbored the highest number of Salmonella gallinarum. It is further concluded that immunohistochemistry may be a precise, sensible, and prudent tool to locate Salmonella gallinarum in different body organs.