Experimental Escherchia coli infection in broilers

An experiment was conducted to study the pathological changes in Escherchia coli infection in broilers. Forty two, one day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into two groups. The group I was maintained as control and group II was inoculated with E. coli (0.2 ml) orally. Pathological changes were studied at 14th, 21st and 28th days of post inoculation. The result of haematology revealed significant decrease in packed cell volume, total erythrocyte count and haemoglobin levels and increase in total leukocyte count in all the interval. Significantly increased alkaline phosphatase, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, blood urea nitrogen with nonsignificant decrease in creatinine, total protein and albumin concentration were observed. Gross pathological changes such as septicaemic carcass with greenish discoloration of visceral organs, pericarditis, perihepatitis, airsacculitis and enteritis were characteristically observed. Microscopic changes observed as congestion of lungs and spleen, mono nuclear cells (MNC) infiltration and degenerative changes of liver, heart and kidney, congested mucosa and submucosa and severe atrophic changes observed in villi with collection of necrotic debris in the intestinal lumen. Histological features of bursa of febricious showed depletion of lymphocytes. It may be concluded that Escherchia coli inoculation in broiler chicken could lead to significant hematological, biochemical and pathological changes.