Intestinal Lesions in Transmissible Enteritis of Turkeys

Abstract

Histological lesions due to the Minnesota strain of transmissible enteritis were studied in 44 eighteen-day-old poults. Birds were killed at various intervals up to 21 days following infection. In general, epithelial changes were more prominent in the jejunum, and less marked in the ileum and cecum. Significant findings were: an overall decrease in goblet cells, a decrease in microvillus length, separation of epithelium from the lamina propria, and decrease in enterochromaffin cells. The lesions are a useful laboratory guide to transmissible enteritis infection and possibly an aid in field diagnosis.