EXPRESSIVENESS ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD CELL PHAGOCYTIC REACTION IN CHICKENS-BROILERS

Aim. To study the phagocytic reaction indices in chickens-broilers of different age groups in case of organ and tissue contamination with opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms (OPM). Materials and methods. The object of the study - 210 chickens-broilers at the age of 1 day, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks, which were kept in conditions of battery farm “Permskaya”. Chickens were divided into 3 groups: group I - clinically healthy, group II - without any clinical signs of disease, but OPM infected, group III - weakened poultry with massive OPM sowing from the internal organs. Presence of OPM and their organs and tissues was assessed with generally accepted microbiological methods. Phagocytic activity of blood pseudoeosinophiles and monocytes in relation to gram-positive test-microbe St. aureus was studied. Phagocytosis percent (PP), phagocytic number (PN), phagocytic index (PI) and phagocytic activity index (PAI) were determined. Results. In healthy chickens, high PAI level at early terms of their life was detected. Beginning from the second week and till the end of their growing, all blood cell phagocytic activity indices were reliably increasing. Continuous, stable, but less high growth of these indices in all age groups was observed also in clinically healthy, but OPM infected birds. Sick chickens had sharp fluctuations in PP, PI, PN and PAI during all the observed period that proves the reduced functional activity of phagocytes with regard to inactivation of microorganisms. Conclusions. High level of blood cell absorbing activity associated with growth of the share of “true” phagocytes in the group of healthy chickens-broilers shows strengthened with age ability of the body to eliminate antigens, particularly, opportunistic pathogenic ones. Growing with age, but lower ability of blood cells to phagocytosis is noted in the group of clinically healthy, but OPM infected poultry. One of the main reasons for development of generalized infectious process in sick poultry is an essential disturbance of natural resistance of the body revealed already in the first days of their life (by phagocytic reaction data)

Phagocytosis, opportunistic pathogenic microflora, chickens-broilers