Ultrastructural changes in the intestines of turkey poults and embryos affected with transmissible enteritis.

Transmissible enteritis is a turkey disease of viral aetiology. The disease has been described in the United States and Canada, and a similar clinical syndrome has been observed in Australia. Histological changes in the intestine have been described (Adams, Ball and Hofstad, 1970), including shortened microvilli, slight oedema, a decrease in argentafhn cells and an increase followed by a decrease in goblet cells depending on the stage of infection. Adams and Hofstad (197 1) have shown that it is possible to propagate the agent in the intestine of turkey embryos. Studies on the disease have been hampered by the inability to cultivate the causative agent outside its host. Enteritis of viral origin is probably important in many species, but few viral enteritides have been well characterized. Electron microscopic observations were made to obtain a better understanding of this disease and to attempt to demonstrate the aetiological agent.