Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/21264
Title: | Identification and characterization of avian hepatitis E virus in 2013 outbreaks of hepatitis-splenomegaly syndrome in two US layer operations | Contributor(s): | Gerber, Priscilla Freitas (author) ; Trampel, Darrell W (author); Opriessnig, Tanja (author) | Publication Date: | 2014 | Open Access: | Yes | DOI: | 10.1080/03079457.2014.935755 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/21264 | Abstract: | Two commercial Midwestern egg-type chicken flocks experienced significant increases in mortality rates in April 2013 with clinical signs appearing in 17-week-old pullets on Farm A and in 46-week-old hens on Farm B. Average weekly mortality was 0.44% over a 4-week period on Farm A and 0.17% over an 8-week period on Farm B. On Farm A, flocks in the affected house had a 45% decrease in daily egg production from weeks 19 to 27 when compared with standard egg production curves (P < 0.01) while no decrease in egg production was noticed on Farm B. Post-mortem examination revealed changes consistent with hepatitis-splenomegaly syndrome, including hepatomegaly with serosanguineous fluid in the coelomic cavity and hepatic subcapsular haemorrhages. Microscopic lesions were characterized by multifocal necrotizing hepatitis and intrahepatic haemorrhage. No significant bacteria were recovered from liver samples, but 72 to 100% of the liver samples from affected chickens on Farm A (8/11) and Farm B (7/7) contained detectable amounts of avian hepatitis E virus (aHEV) RNA as determined by polymerase chain reaction. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of a 361-base-pair fragment of the helicase gene demonstrated 98.6 to 100% nucleotide identity between the aHEV genomes from Farm A and Farm B, whereas identities ranged from 74.6 to 90.5% when compared with other representative sequences. Sequences from this study clustered within aHEV genotype 2 previously recognized in the USA. In contrast to other reported aHEV outbreaks that occurred in 30-week-old to 80-week-old chickens, in the present investigation clinical aHEV was identified in 17-week-old chickens on one of the farms. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Avian Pathology, 43(4), p. 357-363 | Publisher: | Taylor & Francis | Place of Publication: | United Kingdom | ISSN: | 1465-3338 0307-9457 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 070703 Veterinary Diagnosis and Diagnostics 070706 Veterinary Medicine 070712 Veterinary Virology |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 300904 Veterinary diagnosis and diagnostics 300907 Veterinary medicine (excl. urology) 300914 Veterinary virology |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 830309 Poultry | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 100411 Poultry | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
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