Poultry Deaths Research Articles

A Narrative Review on the Pandemic Zoonotic RNA Virus Infections Occurred During the Last 25 Years.

Pandemic zoonotic RNA virus infections have continued to threaten humans and animals worldwide. The objective of this review was to highlight the epidemiology and socioeconomic impacts of pandemic zoonotic RNA virus infections that occurred between 1997 and 2021. Literature search was done from Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, cumulative case fatalities of individual viral infection calculated, and geographic coverage of the pandemics were shown by maps. Seven major pandemic zoonotic RNA virus infections occurred from 1997 to 2021 and were presented in three groups: The first group consists of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI-H5N1) and swine-origin influenza (H1N1) viruses with cumulative fatality rates of 53.5% and 0.5% in humans, respectively. Moreover, HPAI-H5N1 infection caused 90-100% death in poultry and economic losses of >$10billion worldwide. Similarly, H1N1 caused a serious infection in swine and economic losses of 0.5-1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the affected countries. The second group consists of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus infection (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with case fatalities of 9.6%, 34.3% and 2.0%, respectively in humans; but this group only caused mild infections in animals. The third group consists of Ebola and Zika virus infections with case fatalities of 39.5% and 0.02%, respectively in humans but causing only mild infections in animals. Similar infections are expected in the near future, and hence strict implementation of conventional biosecurity-based measures and development of efficacious vaccines would help minimize the impacts of the next pandemic infection.

Plant Extract in the Control of Poultry Omphalitis.

Bacteria continue to disrupt poultry production and can cause resistant and persistent yolk sac infections to prevention efforts, known as omphalitis, resulting in poultry death. This literature review aims to demonstrate how plant extracts can help combat omphalitis in poultry. The Google Scholar database served as a resource for retrieving pertinent literature covering a wide range of search terms relevant to the scope of the research. The search strategy involved a combination of terms such as antimicrobials, chick embryo, omphalitis, plant extracts, poultry nutrition, and sanitization. The potential of plant extracts in preventing or treating infections in poultry, especially omphalitis, is mainly due to their antibacterial and safety properties. Sanitization and direct delivery of plant extracts to the internal contents of eggs, feed, or water are cutting-edge interventions to reduce the bacterial load in eggs and poultry, minimizing infection rates. For example, these interventions may include advanced treatment technologies or precise delivery systems focused on disease prevention in poultry.

Perceptions and experiences of an intervention to improve diets of women and young children in Ghana

BackgroundEfficacious integrated intervention strategies to address the drivers of malnutrition at multiple levels are hardly implemented at scale, although opportunities for cross-sectoral action exist. In 2020, the Improved Feeding Practices (IFP) Project was implemented in Ghana to improve the dietary diversity and well-being of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and children >2 years.ObjectiveThis paper reports the perceptions and experiences of project beneficiaries and the lessons learned from the IFP project.MethodsUsing a socio-ecological framework, data from the IFP project documents (n=8) and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including local government officers, and direct and indirect beneficiaries (n=61), were triangulated to construct an evidence-based overview of the implementation of the complementary strategies of the IFP project. The interviews explored respondents' knowledge, experiences of the project activities, and perceptions of how the project affected their lives. The data were analysed and synthesized thematically using ATLAS.ti.ResultsThe IFP project envisaged an impact pathway through promoting community- or home-based nutrient-rich crop production and poultry to enhance diet quality, child care and feeding practices. Multi-sectoral partners facilitated training and service delivery at community, farm, facility, and household levels. Beneficiaries reported an overall positive experience of participating in the project, including enhanced dietary knowledge, capacity to produce and use eggs and orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), earned revenues, and access to nutritious foods. Caregivers reported that the IFP project contributed to enhancing children’s diet quality, reduced disease incidence, and improved child growth. Community-level program implementers experienced capacity strengthening. The dry season, increased poultry feed input prices, diseases (such as fowl pox, Newcastle and smallpox), and poultry deaths, limited the scale of benefits. Key implementation lessons include leveraging local resources to produce poultry feed at home, crossbreeding local and commercial poultry, and enhancing disease management, leading to improved potential for project sustainability.ConclusionsOverall, the communities reported a positive experience of an integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) intervention, leading to improved diets of households, women of reproductive age, and young children >2 years. These strategies can be adapted for use in other to improve women's and children's dietary diversity in similar settings, giving due consideration to lessons learned.

Asiatic Acid Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Myocardial Injury by Promoting Mitophagy and Regulating Mitochondrial Dynamics in Broilers.

Acute myocardial injury (AMI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can cause cardiovascular dysfunction and lead to death in poultry. Traditional antibiotic therapy has been found to have many limitations and negative effects. Asiatic acid (AA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid that is extracted from Centella asiatica and has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer pharmacological properties. Previously, we studied the effect of AA on LPS-induced liver and kidney injury; however, the impact of AA on LPS-induced AMI remained unclear. Sixty 1-day-old broilers were randomly divided into control group, LPS group, LPS + AA 15 mg/kg group, LPS + AA 30 mg/kg group, LPS + AA 60 mg/kg group, and control + AA 60 mg/kg group. The histopathology of cardiac tissues was detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The mRNA and protein expressions related to mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Disorganized myocardial cells and fractured myocardial fibers were found in the LPS group, and obvious red-blood-cell filling can be seen in the gaps between the myocardial fibers in the low-dose AA group. Nevertheless, the medium and high dose of AA obviously attenuated these changes. Our results showed that AA significantly restored the mRNA and protein expressions related to mitochondrial dynamic through further promoting mitophagy. This study revealed the effect of AA on LPS-induced AMI in broilers. Mechanically, AA regulated mitochondrial dynamic homeostasis and further promoted mitophagy. These novel findings indicate that AA may be a potential drug for LPS-induced AMI in broilers.

Biological availability of mineral elements

The animal husbandry industry is the leading branch of our country’s agro-industrial complex, on the one hand, its development determines the level of public consumption of valuable food products, and on the other hand, the economic well-being of the agricultural sector of the economy. It is known that the productivity of farm animals depends on feeding and keeping conditions by 70–80 % and on genetic potential by 20–30 %. Balanced animal nutrition is an important part of the efforts to increase livestock productivity, it is based on meeting the energy and nutrient needs of animals and poultry at different ages. If this requirement is met, you can expect high growth and development of young animals, and high productivity. The application of biologically active substances, including minerals, as catalysts for metabolism is one of the means to increase animal productivity and resistance. Numerous studies have proven their significant role in the processes of tissue respiration, hematopoiesis, reproduction, nervous and endocrine system functions, and consequently in the processes of strengthening the natural immune defenses of animals. Breeders use different sources of macro- and microelements to compensate mineral deficiencies in the diet. It can be mineral additives of industrial production, or natural sources or industrial waste containing certain mineral elements. The availability of certain macro- and microelements in mineral sources, the cost of these additives, and the costs of their purchase and transportation are important. Particular attention is paid to the mineral nutrition of poultry, which has high growth energy, intensive metabolism and a well-developed reproductive function. Special attention is focused on the mineral nutrition of poultry, as they have high growth energy, intensive metabolism and a well-developed reproductive function. An unbalanced mineral nutrition significantly reduces the body’s productivity and resistance, causes significant metabolic disorders, reproductive disorders and diseases, which can often cause poultry death. The most common reason for the declining productivity and immune system is insufficiently balanced feeding in the conditions of production intensification. The intensive use of poultry causes changes in metabolism, reducing the content of micro and macro elements, vitamins and other biologically active substances in the body.

Field and laboratory investigation of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 and H5N8 in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, 2020 to 2021.

Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious disease that causes illness and death in poultry and humans. High pathogenicity AI (HPAI) H5N6 outbreaks commonly occur in Quang Ninh province bordering China. In June 2021, the first HPAI H5N8 outbreak occurred at a Quang Ninh chicken farm. This study examined the risk factors associated with HPAI H5N6 and H5N8 outbreaks in Quang Ninh. A retrospective case-control study was conducted in Quang Ninh from Nov 2021 to Jan 2022. The cases were households with susceptible poultry with two or more clinical signs and tested positive by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The controls were households in the same village as the cases but did not show clinical symptoms of the disease. Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the risk factors associated with HPAI outbreaks at the household level. There were 38 cases with H5N6 clade 2.3.4.4h viruses (n = 35) and H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses (n = 3). Compared to the 112 controls, raising poultry in uncovered or partially covered ponds (odds ratio [OR], 7.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-39.27), poultry traders visiting the farm (OR, 8.66; 95% CI, 2.7-27.69), farms with 50-2,000 birds (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.06-8-51), and farms with ≥ 2,000 birds (OR, 11.35; 95% CI, 3.07-41.94) were significantly associated with HPAI outbreaks. Combining biosecurity measures, such as restricting visitor entry and vaccination in farms with more than 50 birds, can enhance the control and prevention of HPAI in Quang Ninh and its spread across borders.

Development of a recombinase-aided amplification combined with a lateral flow dipstick assay for rapid detection of H7 subtype avian influenza virus.

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a significant persistent threat to the public health and safety. It is estimated that there have been over 100 outbreaks caused by various H7 subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIV-H7) worldwide, resulting in over 33 million deaths of poultry. In this study, we developed a recombinase-aided amplification combined with a lateral flow dipstick assay for the detection of hemagglutinin (HA) genes to provide technical support for rapid clinical detection of AIV-H7. The results showed that the assay can complete the reaction within 30 min at a temperature of 39°C. Specificity tests demonstrated that there was no cross-reactivity with other common poultry pathogens, including Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infections bronchitis virus (IBV). The detection limit of this assay was 1 × 101 copies/μL, while RT-qPCR method was 1 × 101 copies/μL, and RT-PCR was 1 × 102 copies/μL. The κ value of the RT-RAA-LFD and RT-PCR assay in 132 avian clinical samples was 0.9169 (p < 0.001). These results indicated that the developed RT-RAA-LFD assay had good specificity, sensitivity, stability and repeatability and may be used for rapid detection of AIV-H7 in clinical diagnosis.

Trichomonas gallinae Kills Host Cells Using Trogocytosis.

Trichomonas gallinae (T. gallinae) is an infectious parasite that is prevalent worldwide in poultry and can cause death in both poultry and wild birds. Although studies have shown that T. gallinae damages host cells through direct contact, the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found that T. gallinae can kill host cells by ingesting fragments of the host cells, that is, by trogocytosis. Moreover, we found that the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin and the cysteine protease inhibitor E-64D prevented T. gallinae from destroying host cells. To the best of our knowledge, our study has demonstrated for the first time that T. gallinae uses trogocytosis to kill host cells. Understanding this mechanism is crucial for the prevention and control of avian trichomoniasis and will contribute to the development of vaccines and drugs for the prevention and control of avian trichomoniasis.

Smartphone based detection and classification of poultry diseases from chicken fecal images using deep learning techniques

Human demand for animal products is increasing, forcing the agricultural industry, particularly poultry farming, to increase the quantity of its output. Increased poultry farming can lead to increased transmission of infectious diseases, resulting in widespread poultry death and significant economic losses. Traditional techniques for detecting diseases in poultry involve manual methods that are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and error-prone. Furthermore, the interpretation of the results often requires the expertise of trained professionals. These limitations can impede timely disease detection and increase the risk of the disease spreading throughout the flock, which can have severe consequences. This paper presents a detection and classification system for poultry diseases. The system was developed using two core algorithms: YOLO-V3 object detection algorithm and ResNet50 image classification model. YOLO-V3 was used to segment region of interest (ROI) from faecal images while ResNet50 was used for classification of the segmented image into four health conditions: Health, Coccidiosis, Salmonella, and New Castle Disease. The models were trained on 10,500 chicken faecal images collected from Zenodo open database. Oversampling and image augmentation techniques were applied to the dataset to handle class imbalance prior to training the ResNet50 model. The YOLO-V3 object detection model, implemented in Darknet, achieved a mean average precision of 87.48% for detecting regions of interest (ROI), while the ResNet50 image model demonstrated a classification accuracy of 98.7%. Based on our experimental findings, the proposed chicken disease detection and classification system exhibits the ability to accurately identify three prevalent poultry diseases. Therefore, this system can prove to be a valuable tool for assisting poultry farmers and veterinarians in farm settings.

The Two-Component System CpxRA Affects Antibiotic Susceptibility and Biofilm Formation in Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is one of the common extraintestinal infectious disease pathogens in chickens, geese, and other birds. It can cause a variety of infections, and even the death of poultry, causing enormous economic losses. However, the misuse and abuse of antibiotics in the poultry industry have led to the development of drug resistance in the gut microbes, posing a challenge for the treatment of APEC infections. It has been reported that the CpxRA two-component system has an effect on bacterial drug resistance, but the specific regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the regulatory mechanism of CpxRA on APEC biofilm formation and EmrKY efflux pump was investigated. The cpxRA knockout strain of E. coli APEC40 was constructed, and the molecular regulatory mechanism of CpxR on biofilms and efflux pump-coding genes were identified by biofilm formation assays, drug susceptibility test, real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The results indicated that CpxR can directly bind to the promoter region of emrKY and negatively regulate the sensitivity of bacteria to ofloxacin and erythromycin. These results confirm the important regulatory role of the CpxRA two-component system under antibiotic stress in APEC.

The two-component system histidine kinase EnvZ contributes to Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli pathogenicity by regulating biofilm formation and stress responses

EnvZ, the histidine kinase (HK) of OmpR/EnvZ, transduces osmotic signals in Escherichia coli K12 and affects the pathogenicity of Shigella flexneri and Vibrio cholera. Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is an extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), causing acute and sudden death in poultry and leading to severe economic losses to the global poultry industry. How the functions of EnvZ correlate with APEC pathogenicity was still unknown. In this study, we successfully constructed the envZ mutant strain AE17ΔenvZ and the inactivation of envZ significantly reduced biofilms and altered red, dry, and rough (rdar) morphology. In addition, AE17ΔenvZ was significantly less resistant to acid, alkali, osmotic, and oxidative stress conditions. Deletion of envZ significantly enhanced sensitivity to specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicken serum and increased adhesion to chicken embryonic fibroblast DF-1 cells and elevated inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, IL6, and IL8 expression levels. Also, when compared with the WT strain, AE17ΔenvZ attenuated APEC pathogenicity in chickens. To explore the molecular mechanisms underpinning envZ in APEC17, we compared the WT and envZ-deletion strains using transcriptome analyses. RNA-Seq results identified 711 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the envZ mutant strain and DEGs were mainly enriched in outer membrane proteins, stress response systems, and TCSs. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that EnvZ influenced the expression of biofilms and stress responses genes, including ompC, ompT, mlrA, basR, hdeA, hdeB, adiY, and uspB. We provided compelling evidence showing EnvZ contributed to APEC pathogenicity by regulating biofilms and stress response expression.

LuxR family transcriptional repressor YjjQ modulates the biofilm formation and motility of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) can cause the acute and sudden death of poultry, which leads to serious economic losses in the poultry industry. Biofilm formation contributes to the persistence of bacterial infection, drug resistance, and resistance to diverse environmental stress. Many transcription regulators in APEC play an essential role in the formation of biofilm and could provide further insights into APEC pathogenesis. YjjQ has an important role in the pathogenicity of bacteria by regulating the expression of virulence factors, such as flagellar and iron uptake. However, YjjQ regulates other virulence factors, and their role in the overall regulatory network is unclear. Here, we further evaluate the function of YjjQ on APEC biofilm formation and motility. In this study, we successfully constructed mutant (AE27∆yjjQ) and complement (AE27ΔyjjQ-comp) strains of the wild-type strain AE27. Inactivation of the yjjQ gene significantly increased biofilm-forming ability in APEC. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the biofilm formation of the AE27 was single-layered and flat, whereas that of the AE27∆yjjQ had a porous three-dimensional structure. Moreover, the deletion of the yjjQ gene inhibited the motility of APEC. RNA-sequencing was used to further investigate the regulatory mechanism of YjjQ in APEC. The results indicate that YjjQ regulates biofilm formation and flagellar genes in AE27∆yjjQ. RT-qPCR shows that YjjQ affects the transcriptional levels of genes, including flagella genes (flhD, flhC and flgE), and biofilm formation genes (pstA, uhpC, nikD, and ygcS). These results confirm that the transcription regulator YjjQ is involved in APEC biofilm formation and motility, and provide new evidence for the prevention and control of APEC.

Genome-Based Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Potential of Isolates of Non-Pullorum/Gallinarum Salmonella Serovars Recovered from Dead Poultry in China.

ABSTRACTParatyphoid avian salmonellosis is considered one of the leading causes of poultry death, resulting in significant economic losses to poultry industries worldwide. In China, especially in Shandong province, the leading producer of poultry products, several recurrent outbreaks of avian salmonellosis have been reported during the last decade where the precise causal agent remains unknown. Moreover, the establishment of earlier and more accurate recognition of pathogens is a key factor to prevent the further dissemination of resistant and/or hypervirulent clones. Here, we aim to use whole-genome sequencing combined with in silico toolkits to provide the genomic features of the antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential of 105 regionally representative non-Pullorum/Gallinarum Salmonella isolates recovered from dead poultry between 2008 and 2019 in Shandong, China. Additionally, phenotypic susceptibility to a panel of 15 antibiotics representing 11 classes was assessed by the broth microdilution method. In this study, we identified eight serovars and nine multilocus sequence typing (MLST) types, with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis sequence type 11 (ST11) being the most prevalent (84/105; 80%). Based on their phenotypic antimicrobial resistance, 77.14% of the isolates were defined as multidrug resistant (≥3 antimicrobial classes), with the detection of one S. Enteritidis isolate that was resistant to the 11 classes. The highest rates of resistance were observed against nalidixic acid (97.14%) and ciprofloxacin (91.43%), followed by ampicillin (71.43%), streptomycin (64.77%), and tetracycline (60%). Genomic characterization revealed the presence of 41 resistance genes, with an alarmingly high prevalence of blaTEM-1B (60%), in addition to genomic mutations affecting the DNA gyrase (gyrA) and DNA topoisomerase IV (parC) genes, conferring resistance to quinolones. The prediction of plasmid replicons detected 14 types, with a dominance of IncFIB(S)_1 and IncFII(S)_1 (87.62% for both), while the IncX1 plasmid type was considered the key carrier of antimicrobial resistance determinants. Moreover, we report the detection of critical virulence genes, including cdtB, rck, sodCI, pef, and spv, in addition to the typical determinants for Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and SPI-2. Furthermore, phylogenomic analysis revealed the detection of three intra-farm and five inter-farm transmission events. Overall, the detection of Salmonella isolates presenting high antimicrobial resistance and harboring different critical virulence genes is of major concern, which requires the urgent implementation of effective strategies to mitigate non-Pullorum/Gallinarum avian salmonellosis.IMPORTANCE Avian salmonellosis is one of the leading global causes of poultry death, resulting in substantial economic losses in China (constituting 9% of overall financial losses). In Shandong province, a top poultry producer (30% of the overall production in China, with 15% being exported to the world), extensive outbreaks of avian salmonellosis have been reported in the past decade where the causal agents or exact types remain rarely addressed. From approximately 2008 to 2019, over 2,000 Salmonella strains were isolated and identified from dead poultry during routine surveillance of 95 poultry farms covering all 17 cities in Shandong. Approximately 1,500 isolates were confirmed to be of non-Pullorum/Gallinarum Salmonella serovars. There is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms behind the implication of zoonotic Salmonella serovars in systemic infections of poultry. Here, we analyzed populations of clinically relevant isolates of non-Pullorum/Gallinarum Salmonella causing chicken death in China by a whole-genome sequencing approach and determined that antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Enteritidis remained the major cause in the past decades.

Enzyme-probiotic complex in the rearing of ducks and the effectiveness of its use

Modern technologies in poultry farming are aimed at preventing the death of poultry, which brings significant losses to producers. One of the possible ways to improve the physiological status of the bird’s body is the skillful selection of feed, which ultimately will allow for the maximum realization of genetically determined productivity. The purpose of the work was to provide a scientific and practical justification for the effectiveness of the use of an enzyme-probiotic complex in the rearing of ducks of the cross “Cherry Valley” of Beijing breed. The technology of production of meat of broiler ducklings is scientifically and economically justified when using an enzyme-probiotic complex based on the poly-enzyme drug “Universal” and the probiotic drug Actisaf as part of their compound feed. The optimal dose of the introduction of the probiotic Actisaf into the diet of poultry for its further use as part of a complex drug has been determined. It has been experimentally substantiated and proved that the use of the enzyme-probiotic complex in the feed of broiler ducklings makes it possible to increase the nutritional value and usefulness of their feeding, livability, energy and growth rate, normalize morphological and biochemical parameters of blood, the functional state of internal organs, positively affects the digestibility and use of feed nutrients. This allows us to get high-quality products and increase the profitability of its production. The economic efficiency was according to groups such as in the 1st experimental group (the optimal dose of drug Actisaf) it was 32 rubles, in the 2nd experimental group (the recommended dose of the poly-enzyme drug Universal) it was 11,6 rubles and in the 3rd experimental group (enzyme-probiotic complex) it was 56,3 rubles, including based on 1 rub of additional costs – 1,56 rub, 1,59 and 2,03 rub, respectively, for experimental groups. These developments are an important contribution to the problem of improving the theory and practice of fattening broiler ducklings under the conditions of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The activity of T- and B-cell links of specific protection of chicken-broilers under the influence of synbiotic preparation “Biomagn” and “Diolide” disinfectant

One of the most actual problems of modern poultry farming is to increase the preservation of chickens and ensure high intensity of their growth at all stages of rearing. The development of alternative methods of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases of poultry involves the use of preparations of natural or organic origin, which have antagonistic properties against infectious agents and are able to balance the immune response. A prominent place in the system of disease prevention and increasing the resistance of animals and poultry is the development of modern probiotic and bactericidal preparations. In view of this, we studied the influence of the synbiotic preparations “Biomagn” in combination with the disinfectant “Diolide” on the state of the T- and B-cell links of the specific immunity of broiler chickens during the period of their rearing. The preparation “Biomagn” is based on representatives of the normal commensal microflora - non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria with antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties and additional components: magnesium chloride, chitosan, xylanase, protease, cellulase, milk thistle meal, acidity regulator, betaine and emulsifier. The specified remedy is used to ensure optimal level of metabolism, increase immune function, growth, safety of animals and poultry. The results of the research showed that the use of the synbiotic preparation “Biomagn” in combination with the disinfectant “Diolide” had a positive influence on the activity of T- and B-cell links of specific defense of broiler chickens organism during the period of their rearing. This is evidenced by an increase in the amount of T-lymphocytes (total, active and theophylline-resistant) and B-lymphocytes in the blood and an increase in their functional activity due to the redistribution of the receptor apparatus of immunocompetent cells. In particular, a decrease in the number of functionally inactive T- and B-lymphocytes in the blood and an increase in the number of cells with low and medium degree of avidity. Therefore, the use of a set of studied immunotropic preparations is a promising direction in increasing the resistance and productivity of poultry. This allows in industrial conditions of maintenance, without loss of productivity, to respond to technological factors that can lead to immunodeficiency, disease and death of poultry.

Jungle Cat (Felis chaus Schreber 1777) – A Victim of False Blame? A Case Study in Gomai, Katwa, West Bengal, India

A study was conducted in Gomai village to determine the impact jungle cats had on poultry bird deaths. The study revealed that 1.6+ 0.7 chickens and 3.6+2.22 ducks were lost per household due to predation during the period of 2020-2021. A total of Rs. 53200 ($ 727.3) was lost due to the poultry bird deaths from predation. The jungle cats were observed to be responsible for 1.17±0.39 chicken and 1.18±0.39 duck deaths per household. They caused an economic loss of Rs. 14600 ($ 199.6), accounting for only 27.44% of total economic loss caused due to predation. The study revealed that majority of the poultry deaths were caused by Indian free ranging dogs. The dogs killed 1.11±0.8 chickens and 2.6±1.7 ducks per household. The dogs caused an economic loss of INR 38600 ($ 530.59), accounting for 72.55% of the total economic loss caused due to predation. The villagers believed the jungle cats to be responsible for nearly all the poultry bird deaths due to predation. Correcting their false belief would be necessary in order to get their help in protecting the jungle cats in the unprotected area of the village.

Evaluation of inhibitor activity of bacterial sialidase from Clostridium perfringens against Newcastle disease virus in the cell culture model using chicken embryo fibroblast.

Objective:The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an infectious disease that causes very high economic losses due to decreased livestock production and poultry deaths. The vaccine’s ineffectiveness due to mutation of the genetic structure of the virus impacts obstacles in controlling the disease, especially in some endemic areas. This study aimed to provide an alternative treatment for NDV infection by observing the viral replication inhibitor activity of Clostridium perfringens sialidase in primary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells.Materials and Methods:The virus was adapted in CEF monolayer cells, then collected thrice using the freeze–thaw method and stored at −20°C for the next step in the challenge procedure. C. perfringens crude sialidase was obtained, but it was further purified via stepwise elution in ion exchange using Q Sepharose® Fast Flow and affinity chromatography with oxamic acid agarose. The purified sialidase was tested for its toxicity, ability to breakdown sialic acid, stopping viral replication, and how treated cells expressed their genes.Results:According to this study, purified C. perfringens sialidase at dosages of 187.5, 93.75, and 46.87 mU effectively hydrolyzes CEF cells’ sialic acid and significantly inhibits viral replication on the treated cells. However, sialidase dosages of 375 and 750 mU affected the viability of monolayer CEF cells. Interestingly, downregulation of toll-like receptor (TLR)3 and TLR7 (p < 0.05) in the sialidase-treated group indicates viral endocytosis failure.Conclusions:By stopping endocytosis and viral replication in host cells, sialidase from C. perfringens can be used as an alternative preventive treatment for NDV infection.

Seroprevalence and detection of H5N1 avian influenza virus in local chickens in Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia

Aim: Avian Influenza (AI) is a zoonotic disease that causes death in poultry and humans. Monitoring the virus needs to be carried out continuously to prevent outbreaks of the disease. Seroprevalence and detection of H5N1 and H9N2 AI virus antigen were intended to monitor the presence of viruses in local chickens in Tabanan, a Regency of the Indonesian island Province of Bali. The research aims were to detect the presence of H5N1 AI virus, and to know the distribution of this virus in Tabanan Regency. Materials and Methods: Research located in six districts of Tabanan regency namely Baturiti, Penebel, Marga, Kediri, Tabanan, and Kerambitan. A total of 1,398 local chickens that never been vaccinated with AI were randomly sampled in this study. The samples collected were serum, cloacal and tracheal swabs. Serum samples were tested with hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. While samples of cloacal and tracheal swabs were isolated in 9-day-old germinated chicken eggs, followed by hemagglutination assay and RT-PCR test using H5N1 and H9N2 primers. Results: AI seroprevalence in local chickens in Tabanan Regency was 1% with the distribution in each district as follows; Penebel 1.6%, Kerambitan 1.2%, Marga 1%, while Tabanan, Kediri, and Baturiti 0.7% each. H5N1 AI virus was detected in 11 samples, i.e. five in Marga district and three in Penebel district, two in Kediri, and one in Tabanan, while the H9N2 AI virus was not detected. Conclusion: These results indicate that H5N1 AI virus may still circulate in local chickens in Tabanan Regency, Bali.

Pathogen change of avian influenza virus in the live poultry market before and after vaccination of poultry in southern China

BackgroundThe fifth wave of H7N9 avian influenza virus caused a large number of human infections and a large number of poultry deaths in China. Since September 2017, mainland China has begun to vaccinate poultry with H5 + H7 avian influenza vaccine. We investigated the avian influenza virus infections in different types of live poultry markets and samples before and after genotype H5 + H7 vaccination in Nanchang, and analyzed the changes of the HA subtypes of AIVs.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2019, we monitored different live poultry markets and collected specimens, using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology to detect the nucleic acid of type A avian influenza virus in the samples. The H5, H7 and H9 subtypes of influenza viruses were further classified for the positive results. The χ2 test was used to compare the differences in the separation rates of different avian influenza subtypes.ResultsWe analyzed 5,196 samples collected before and after vaccination and found that the infection rate of AIV in wholesale market (21.73%) was lower than that in retail market (24.74%) (P < 0.05). Among all the samples, the positive rate of sewage samples (33.90%) was the highest (P < 0.001). After vaccination, the positive rate of H5 and H7 subtypes decreased, and the positive rate of H9 subtype and untypable HA type increased significantly (P < 0.001). The positive rates of H9 subtype in different types of LPMs and different types of samples increased significantly (P < 0.01), and the positive rates of untypable HA type increased significantly in all environmental samples (P < 0.05).ConclusionsSince vaccination, the positive rates of H5 and H7 subtypes have decreased, but the positive rates of H9 subtypes have increased to varying degrees in different testing locations and all samples. This results show that the government should establish more complete measures to achieve long-term control of the avian influenza virus.

Pathomorphological changes in the organs of chickens infected spontaneously by the species Salmonella pullorum on private farms in Chernivtsi region

Commercial poultry production growth and the increase in the number of small farms specializing in raising broiler chickens, laying hens, quails, and other poultry contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. Non-compliance with the principles of biosafety during incubation and breeding results in mass deaths of poultry and, consequently, significant economic losses for farmers. Salmonellosis is one of the most dangerous anthropozoonotic diseases of poultry, which is most often registered in private farms. Age analysis of the poultry salmonellosis in the EU countries indicates the infection of adult laying hens most often, young poultry to a lesser extent, and chickens aged up to 10 days less frequently. Although the program for the prevention and elimination of poultry salmonellosis has been approved at the legislative level in Ukraine, monitoring studies are not carefully conducted. This is especially true for private homesteads and small farms, which greatly complicates the epizootiological situation in some regions of the country. The article describes the pathological and histological changes in the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and spleen. The changes were detected in chickens aged 10 and 14 days infected with microorganisms of the species Salmonella pullorum. Eggs for incubation were obtained from different family flocks, and incubation was performed in a single incubator. The initial clinical signs of the disease appeared in chickens aged 7 days and included diarrhea, increased water consumption, lameness, mass concentration of chickens near heat sources, nervous phenomena in the form of circle walking, and partial blindness in some cases. The pathological autopsy revealed hepatomegaly with sharp change in the organ colour, diapedetic hemorrhage under Glisson’s capsule, and diffuse miliary necrosis. Greyish-white nodular lesions of the lungs and heart, dystrophic changes in the kidneys, and deposition of uric acid salts in the ureters were also characteristic features. Diffuse coagulation necrosis, massive perivascular infiltration by heterophilic lymphocytes and stasis were observed in the liver. Changes in the heart were characterized by significant infiltration by mononuclear cells and heterophiles, which led to atrophy, necrosis, and replacement of cardiomyocytes by connective tissue cellular elements. Delymphatization and necrosis of the lymph nodes were pronounced in the spleen.