Experimental Toxoplasmosis in Chickens

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Abstract
The chicken is remarkably tolerant to experimental toxoplasmosis. Only very large inocula of parasites (1 x 106 per kg) produced disease in mature fowl and even very young birds survived infection. The symptoms of the disease are described. Parasitemia was not constant nor was it progressive. Heavy infections usually persisted from the 2d or 3d day to about the end of the second week, occasionally longer; in light infections it was of shorter duration. The chickens cleared their tissues of the parasites relatively early. Heavily infected birds rarely were positive beyond 40 days, and lightly infected chicks were negative by 28 days. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 and folic acid failed to increase the susceptibility of birds to Toxoplasma. Cortisone, at doses of 5 or 10 mg for 4 days, was likewise ineffective. Dye test titers did not exceed 1:64 and dropped to insignificant levels in 2 months.