Septicemia associated with Hafnia alvei in laying hens

Abstract

In the present work Hafnia alvei was isolated from laying hens displaying a reduction in egg production, loss of appetite, opisthotonus, and death. Multifocal necrotizing hepatitis and splenitis were the most prominent lesions. The organism was identified microbiologically. Laying hens were experimentally inoculated by the oral and intraperitoneal route to show the pathogenicity of the organism. A very similar clinicopathologic effect resulted from this trial. Several experimentally infected laying hens died due to septicemia. We conclude that H. alvei may cause a septicemia similar to that reportedly caused by Salmonella spp. in avian species.

Reporte de Caso-Septicemia asociada con Hafnia alvei en gallinas ponedoras. Se aisló Hafnia alvei de gallinas ponedoras que mostraron una baja en producción, pérdida del apetito, opistótonos y mortalidad. Las lesiones más prominentes fueron esplenitis y hepatitis necrosante multifocal. El organismo fue identificado microbiológicamente. Ponedoras comerciales fueron inoculadas experimentalmente por la ruta oral e intraperitoneal con el objeto de comprobar la patogenicidad del microorganismo. Después de la inoculación, se observó un efecto clinicopatológico similar. Varias ponedoras infectadas experimentalmente murieron debido a la septicemia. Concluimos que H. alvei puede causar una septicemia similar a la reportada por Salmonella spp. en las aves.