ABSTRACT
A case-control study was performed to assess prescence of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) caused by fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) at Kafr EL-Shiekh Governorate, Egypt, during spring, 2017. The case group consisted of 100 liver and spleen samples collected from 10 broiler chickens flocks (10 samples from each flock) suspected to be infected with IBH depending on clinical manefestations and necropsy examination. Controls were randamly selected from chickens without clinical sings or evidence of the disease on postmortem examination. Molecular screening of the disease disease in collected samples based on the DNA polymerase gene of FAdVs was carried out. Furthermore, the DNA polymerase gene sequence was determined and analyzed with published reference sequences on GeneBank. Respectively, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to confirm existence of co-infection with chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) and/or infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV in flocks involved in the study. Using PCR, FAdV genome was detected in seven flocks in the case group and one in the control group. FAdV identified in this study revealed close genetic relationship with FAdVs-D previously identified in UK and Canada, suggesting potential virus transmission from these countries. All tested serum samples from diseased chickens were positive for CIAV infection via ELISA while none of the collected bursa of Fabricius samples tested IBDV positive by RT-PCR. Therefore, results obtained from the current study highlighted the importance of implementation of control measures against FAdV and CIAV in Egyptian poultry flocks. This study opens the door for future work toward specific identification of FAdV serotypes circulating in Egyptian poultry farms and molecular characterization of the virus based on hexon gene or full genome sequencing for better understanding of genetic diversity among FAdVs in Egypt at higher reolution.
Subject(s)
Adenoviridae Infections/veterinary , Aviadenovirus/physiology , Chickens , Hepatitis, Animal/diagnosis , Inclusion Bodies, Viral/physiology , Poultry Diseases/diagnosis , Adenoviridae Infections/diagnosis , Adenoviridae Infections/epidemiology , Adenoviridae Infections/virology , Animals , Aviadenovirus/classification , Aviadenovirus/isolation & purification , Case-Control Studies , Chickens/genetics , DNA Polymerase III/analysis , Egypt , Hepatitis, Animal/epidemiology , Hepatitis, Animal/virology , Incidence , Phylogeny , Poultry Diseases/epidemiology , Poultry Diseases/virology , Viral Proteins/analysisABSTRACT
In winter 2016, a fatal disease outbreak suspected to be duck virus enteritis (DVE) stroke over a million ducklings in 10 white Pekin and Muscovy ducks flocks in Dakahlia and Gharbia Governorates, Egypt, causing heavy economic losses. The disease quickly killed 20%-60% of affected farms. The clinical signs were inappetence, ataxia, crowding in corners, partially closed eye lids and blue beaks. Post mortem examination revealed white necrotic foci in liver, mottled spleen and sometimes cecal core. A total of 10 intestines, livers and spleens samples were collected from diseased flocks. Each sample was pooled randomly from eight to ten ducklings. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histopathological examination were utilized for DEV identification in collected samples. Nucleotides sequences of the amplified DNA polymerase gene were compared with the other DEVs available on GeneBank. Also, existence of co-infection with Salmonella spp. was verified via PCR. DEV nucleic acid was detected by PCR in 8 of 10 collected samples (80%) with positive amplification of polymerase gene. Histopathological examination revealed eosinophilic and basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in enterocytes. In some infected enterocytes, intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions were observed in the same cell. Respectively, eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies found in hepatocytes and reticular cells of liver and spleen of diseased ducklings. Four of the 10 collected samples showed positive results for Salmonella spp. infection that may be involved in enhancing infection with DEV. The identified DEVs revealed close genetic relationship with DEVs detected previously in India and China indicating potential transmission of the virus from there that crucially needs further work for better understanding of virus origin. In conclusion, our study revealed infection of duckling farms with DEV and Salmonella that necessitate the implementation of restricted early preventive and control measures for both diseases to decrease the expected economic losses.
