ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH Changes in Tissue Mineral Concentrations Associated with Sudden-Death Syndrome in Chickens1

ABSTRACT The relationship between mineral elements and sudden-death syndrome (SDS) in chickens was investigated. Tissue from the heart, liver, lung, and kidney was obtained from 22, male broiler chickens that had died of SDS and from 32, healthy male chickens. The samples were analyzed semiquantitatively for 68 elements by inductively coupled, plasma mass spectrometry. The differences in the concentrations of Br, Ca, Fe, Ge, Mg, Mn, P, Rb, Sr, and Zn between healthy and SDS chickens in one or more of the tissues were found to be very highly significant (P<.0001)