Preliminary studies on bacterial interference of staphylococcosis of chickens.

Previous studies indicated that Staphylococcus epidermidis strain 115 might be an effective interfering agent in reducing the rate of staphylococcosis in turkeys. In the present study, strain 115 was avirulent when administered to 3-day-old chicks by oral, aerosol, or intravenous route. Strain 115 adhered specifically to tracheal, lung, air-sac, and liver cells in vitro and interfered with subsequent colonization by virulent Staphylococcus aureus. In vivo colonization of lungs and livers of young chicks occurred following exposure to aerosols of strain 115. Strain 115 interfered with the in vivo colonization of lungs and livers by virulent S. aureus.