Chemical Analyses of the Blood of Chicks Infected or Endointoxicated with Escherichia coli

Abstract

THE effect of bacterial infections on blood constituents has been investigated. Dooley, Holtman and Jeffries (1958) reported that the blood glucose level decreased when chicks were infected with Salmonella pullorum. Ross et al. (1956) and Dooley et al. (1958) observed that the blood creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels increased when chicks were infected with this organism. The effect of bacterial endotoxins has also been investigated in numerous animal species. Dooley et al. (1958) have found that the concentrations of some components were altered during intoxication by S. pullorum endotoxin. However, avian species do not normally suffer lethal effects from injections of bacterial endotoxins (Ball et al., 1962). Normal values of blood constituents have been recorded by Groebbels (1932), Dyer and Roe (1934), Henry et al. (1934), and Sturkie (1954). Due to differences in breed, age, diet, number of samples, and procedures employed, the data in the literature…