Liver Granulomas of Turkeys: Causative Agents and Mechanism of Infection

Abstract

Granulomas are a common cause of condemnation of turkey livers. Embedded tightly in the liver may be 1-20 or more hard, light-colored, spheroid masses having a dense fibrinous lining surrounding a hard caseous core. Many of these lesions are easily visible on the liver surface. Ordinary bacteriological culture of material from such lesions has often produced negative results, even though bacterial cells have been observed frequently in histological examination of the tissues. This report concerns the isolation of causative agents of liver granulomas in turkeys, and experimental production of the lesions.