Some Effects of Feeding Gelsemium sempervirens (Yellow Jessamine) to Young Chickens and Turkeys

Extensive grazing of leaves and stems of Gelsemium sempervirens was the suspected cause of high mortality in several North Carolina turkey flocks for three successive years (1957-59). Symptoms indicated a toxicosis; bacteriological and virological examinations were negative. Gametocyte stages of a leukocytozoon were present in stained blood smears, but their presence was inconsistent with the observed mortality. A study was undertaken to determine the toxicity of G. sempervirens for young chickens and turkeys.