Abstract
Enterococcus hirae infections are reported to cause growth depression, encephalomalacia, endocarditis, and septicemia in chickens. This report describes osteomyelitis in the proximal femur of a 3-week-old broiler chicken that also suffered from valvular endocarditis and liver necrosis. Histologically, clusters of gram-positive coccoid bacteria were found in many organs, including bone lesions. In tissues from 5 of 6 examined chickens from the same flock, E hirae was isolated in large numbers. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous bacterial osteomyelitis where E hirae was cultured from bone and where coccoid bacteria consistent with Enterococcus spp were simultaneously demonstrated within bone lesions.
MeSH terms
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Ampicillin / pharmacology
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Animals
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
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Bacterial Typing Techniques / veterinary
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Chickens / microbiology*
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DNA, Bacterial / genetics
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DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
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Endocarditis, Bacterial / epidemiology
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Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology
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Endocarditis, Bacterial / pathology
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Endocarditis, Bacterial / veterinary*
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Enterococcus / drug effects
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Enterococcus / genetics
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Enterococcus / isolation & purification*
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / pathology
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / veterinary*
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Norway / epidemiology
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Osteomyelitis / epidemiology
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Osteomyelitis / microbiology
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Osteomyelitis / pathology
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Osteomyelitis / veterinary*
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Poultry Diseases / epidemiology
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Poultry Diseases / microbiology*
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Poultry Diseases / pathology
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RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
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Sequence Analysis, DNA / veterinary
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Tetracycline / pharmacology
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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DNA, Bacterial
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DNA, Ribosomal
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RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
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Ampicillin
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Tetracycline