Identification and characterization of natural concurrent avian leukosis virus subgroup J and Aspergillus flavus infection in commercial layer chickens.
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Simultaneously occurring myelocytomas caused by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) and Aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fl avus were diagnosed in a commercial layer fl ock.The mortality was up to 1% at 180 days old in this one of two, fi fteen thousand layer fl ocks.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 signifi cantly increased, while lymphocytes, basinophils and monocytes were signifi cantly decreased.Aetiologically, A. fl avus 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. fl avus was not determined.This is the fi rst report of ALV-J and A. fl avus occurring naturally and concurrently in commercial layer hens.
Authors: Liming Cai, Yanming Wang, Guihua Wang, Cai YuMei, Ziqiang Cheng
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G6362285482
OpenAlex ID: W2200486288