Original scientific paper

Identification and characterization of natural concurrent avian leukosis virus subgroup J and Aspergillus flavus infection in commercial layer chickens.

Liming Cai ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
Yanming Wang ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
Guihua Wang ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
Yumei Cai ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
Ziqiang Cheng ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China

Abstract

Simultaneously occurring myelocytomas caused by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) and Aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus were diagnosed in a commercial layer flock. The mortality was up to 1% at 180 days old in this one of two, fifteen thousand layer flocks. Clinical signs of the affected chickens started from 80 day old, and included inactivity, depressed and anorexia. No respiratory signs were observed. On necropsy, various sized gray to yellow tumor-like nodular lesions were found on viscera. Microscopically, the tumor-like nodules were composed of two kinds of patterns, central caseous necrotic granulomas and multifoci eosinophilic myeloid cell proliferation. Intestinal adenocarcinoma in the duodenum, atrophy lesion in the ovaries, arteritis in various tissues, and hydrocephalus were observed, respectively. Hemotologically, the percentage of heterophils and eosinophils were significantly increased, while lymphocytes, basinophils and monocytes were significantly decreased. Aetiologically, A. flavus was cultured from the liver granulomas, and four strains of ALV-J were isolated from the serum of sick chickens, while ALV-A, ALV-B, MDV and REV were PCR negative. The antibody of ALV-J was negative (viremia) in seven sick chickens. The isolates have the highest nucleotide sequence homology (98.2~98.4%) with the prototype strain HPRS-103 of ALV-J. The evidence in this study shows that the source of ALV-J was from vertical transmission, while the source of A. flavus was not determined. This is the first report of ALV-J and A. flavus occurring naturally and concurrently in commercial layer hens.

Keywords

avian leukosis virus subgroup J; Aspergillus flavus; myelocytomas; aspergillosis

Hrčak ID:

122272

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/122272

Publication date:

28.5.2014.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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