Changes in the biochemical composition of blood in chickens infected with Borrelia anserina.

Three-month-old chickens were inoculated intramuscularly with blood infected with Borrelia anserina. The serum levels of the enzymes alkaline and acid phosphatases (ALP and AcP), glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), proteins, lipids, uric acid, blood sugar and inorganic phosphate were measure. There was a decrease of ALP and increase of GOT levels in the infected group. The level of AcP was unchanged. The spirochaetosis was also accompanied by an increase of total protein, globulin and uric acid, reduction of albumin, total lipids, cholesterol and a slight decrease of inorganic phosphate. Blood sugar level was unchanged. These changes corresponded to the clinical and the post-mortem findings following avian spirochaetosis.