Aim: To detect Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis) in paraffin slices and antigen location in infected duck tissues.
Methods: The rabbits were immunized with purified bacillus to obtain S. enteritidis-specific antibody, which were then extracted by the caprylic-ammonium sulphate method, purified through High-Q columns. An indirect immuno-fluorescent staining method (IFA) was established to detect the S. enteritidis antigen in paraffin slices. Detected S. enteritidis in each organ tissue of ducklings experimentally infected with S. enteritidis.
Results: The gland of Garder, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, brain, ileum, jejunum, bursa of Fabricius from S. enteritidis experimentally infected ducklings were positive or strongly positive, and the S. enteritidis antigen mainly distributed in the infected cell cytoplasm.
Conclusion: IFA is an intuitionist, sensitive and specific method in detecting S. enteritidis antigen in paraffin wax slices, and it is a good method in diagnosis and antigen location of S. enteritidis. We also conclude that the gland of Garder, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, ileum, jejunum are target organs in S. enteritidis infections of duck, and S. enteritidis is an intracellular parasitic bacterium.