PREVALENCE OF BEAK AND SHANK NECROSIS IN CROSS-BRED CHICKENS

The anaerobic, Gram negative, filamentous bacteria associated withsevere beak and shank necrosis in chickens was identified asFusobacterium necrophorum (F. necrophorum). Bacteriologicalisolation from affected beak, liver and shank revealed a singlemorphological type of Gram negative, filamentous bacterium withinthe dermis of the affected beak and shank of the fowl. Ahemagglutination test for identification of F. necrophorum wasdescribed. The antibiogram of the isolated strains was investigated.Beak and shank necrosis occur in 56% of chickens. The mortality was2-13%. Characterestic gross lesions of affected chickens wereswelling and necrosis of the beak, curvature of the upper mandiblewith necrosis of the lower mandible and shanks. Histopathologically,there were hyperkeratosis and keratolysis in epidermis of the beakwith infiltration of rod-shaped microorganisms in dermal regionssuffered from coagulative necrosis. The epidermis of the affectedshanks showed hyperkeratosis, hyperplastic changes and coagulativenecrosis of the underlying tissue intangled with bacteria.