Cellular Immune Responses in Lymphoid Tissues of Broiler Chickens Experimentally Infected with Necrotic Enteritis-Producing Strains.

Host cellular responses against (CP), the causative agent of necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens, are poorly understood. In the present study, we first tested the NE-producing ability of seven CP strains (CP5, CP18, CP26, CP64, CP67, CP68, and NCNE-1), using an experimental infection model of broiler chickens. Evaluation of intestinal gross lesions showed that all the strains, except CP5, were able to produce NE, while CP26 and CP64 strains produced relatively more severe lesions when compared with other groups.