Stunting or runting syndrome in broiler chickens and its pathological changes

A disease with stunting or runting syndrome in broiler chickens was investigated in 13 districts of West Java and Central Java provinces. A total of 291 chicken's samples both with clinically stunted or runted were collected from 37 poultry farms. Blood samples were collected randomly from chickens in poultry farms for packed cells volume analysis. Tissues of liver, spleen, thymus, proventriculus, ventriculus intestines, caecum, pancreas, bursa fabricious and heart were collected for histopathological examination. Field surveys showed that prevalence rate of stunting or runting syndrome was varied from one farm to others between 0,1% to 50%. Clinical signs were noted as ununiformity of body size in a flock of chicken, stunted and/or runted of body weight gain and protrude of wing feather. Pathologic changes were hyperemic thymus, athropic thymus and athropic pancreas. While microscopically included dilatation crypt of Lieberkuhn, inflammation of thymus, pancreatitis and enteritis variably among each locations. The PCV level did not show direct link to the affected stunting or runting syndrome.   Key words: Syndrome, stunting, runting, pathology anatomy, histopatholog

Gumboro Disease: Etiology, Epidemiology, Pathology, Diagnosis And Disease Control

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) or known as Gumboro, is a disease that attacks chicken older than 3 weeks, caused by famili Birnaviridae virus. Gumboro in Indonesia was firstly reported in 1983 and until now is commonly found. Very virulent IBD virus causes high morbidity and mortality that can even reach 100%. Clinical symptoms are exhibited as sluggish chicken, dropped wings and cloacal pasting. At gross examination, the bursa was found swollen, with yellowish fluid or hemorrhagic 3 days after infection. The bursa will get atrophy from 7 days post-infection. Meanwhile, the non virulent IBD virus causes subclinical symptoms. Chicken that survived, became stunted or dwarfed. On gross and histopathological findings, the bursa Fabricius has mild lesion and will recover at 14 days post-infection. Diagnosis of IBD can be determined based on pathological observation, supported by immunohistochemical examination and laboratory confirmation of disease by agar gel immunodiffusion, polymerase chain reaction techniques, antigen capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and isolation. Detection of antibodies can be made by serum neutralization technique or enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Prevention can be done by routine vaccination in the field when the maternal antibodies have declined. The review describes the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis clinical symptoms, pathological discription and control of the disease to improve the knowledge of poultry farmer or people who are interested in poultry health. Key words: Gumboro, etiology, epidemiology, pathology, diagnosi

Isolation and characterization of virus of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype of chicken from outbreaks in Indonesia

A study on the isolation and characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza of chicken from outbreaks in Indonesia was conducted at Indonesian Research Institute for Veterinary Science. Outbreaks of avian disease had been reported in Indonesia since August 2003 affecting commercial layer, broiler, quail, and ostrich and also native chicken with showing clinical signs such as cyanosis of wattle and comb, nasal discharges and hypersalivation, subcutaneous ptechiae on foot and leg, diarre and sudden high mortality. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize the causal agent of the disease. Samples of serum, feather follicle, tracheal swab, as well as organs of proventriculus, intestine, caecal tonsil, trachea and lungs were collected from infected animals. Serum samples were tested haemaglutination/haemaglutination inhibition to Newcastle Disease and Egg Drop Syndrome viruses. Isolation of virus of the causal agent of the outbreak was conducted from samples of feather follicle, tracheal swab, and organs using 11 days old specific pathogen free (SPF) embryonated eggs. The isolated viruses were then characterised by agar gel precipitation test using swine influenza reference antisera, by haemaglutination inhibition using H1 to H15 reference antisera, and by electron microscope examination. The pathogenicity of the viruses was confirmed by intravenous pathogenicity index test and its culture in Chicken Embryo Fibroblast primary cell culture without addition of trypsin. The study revealed that the causative agent of the outbreaks of avian disease in Indonesia was avian influenza H5 subtype virus based upon serological tests, virus isolation and characterization using swine influenza reference antisera, and electron microscope examination. While subtyping of the viruses using H1 to H15 reference antisera suggested that the virus is very likely to be an avian influenza H5N1 subtype virus. The pathogenicity test confirmed that the viruses are highly pathogenic to experimental animals. It is concluded that the causative agent of the outbreaks of avian disease in Indonesia was avian influenza H5 subtype virus. The result has been the basis of further study such as development serological tests and vaccine production. The decission of Indonesian Government to conduct vaccination program using homolog vaccine in order to control the disease is regarded as the correct choice. However, it should be accompanied by conducting surveillance and monitoring of the disease as well as the possibility of mutation of virus. The program should be coordinated nationally.   Key words: Virus isolation, characterization, chicken, outbreak, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), H5 subtype, Indonesi

Detection of antibody responses by using haemagglutination inhibiton test and the protection titer of avian influenza virus H5N1 subtype

Study on the detection of antibody responses using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and the protection titer to Avian influenza (AI) virus H5N1 subtype local isolate has been conducted at the Research Institute for Veterinary Science (RIVS). A total number of 50 village chicken (10 chicken served as un-injected controls) and 30 quail were injected intramuscularly with inactivated virus of AI H5N1 subtype local isolate. Serum samples were collected 3 weeks after injection and were tested using haemagglutination inhibition tests. The correlation between antibody titer and its protection to AI virus H5N1 local isolate were measured by challenging the birds with AI virus H5N1 local isolate The HI test was then used to determine field serum samples. A total number of 48 village chicken from three (3) Districts (Bekasi, Tangerang and Bogor) and 96 quails from two (2) farms in District of Sukabumi which were all vaccinated with commercial AI adjuvant vaccine were sampled. The study revealed that village chicken and quails showed antibody responses after 3 weeks vaccination and that titer of ≥ 3 log 2 was able to protect chicken and quails when they were challenged with local isolate virus. Based on this result, village chicken field samples from Districts of Tangerang, Bekasi and Bogor showed antibody titer which will protect 50, 100 and 85% of the flocks respectively. While quail field samples from Farm I and Farm II in District of Sukabumi showed antibody titer which will protect 60-100% and 0-80% of the flocks respectively. It is concluded that the study has successfully measured antibody titer to AI virus H5N1 subtype which protect village chicken and quails from local isolate virus challenge so that the results will be used to analyze field serum samples after vaccination program to eradicate AI from Indonesia.   Key words: Antibody responses, haemagglutination inhibition test, protection titer, AI virus H5N1subtyp

Chicken recombinant antibodies specific for very virulent infectious bursal disease virus.

&lt;p&gt;A phage-displayed single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody library was constructed from the immune spleen cells of chickens immunized with very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) strain CS89. A library consisting of around 9.2 x 10(7) clones was subjected to 3 rounds of panning against captured CS89 virus. Analysis of individual clones by nucleotide sequencing revealed at least 22 unique scFv antibodies binding to vvIBDV in ELISA. Testing of the scFv antibody panel in ELISA against classical, variant or vaccine strains and a wide variety of vvIBDV isolates from the UK, China, France, Belgium, Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and the Netherlands identified one antibody, termed chicken recombinant antibody 88 (CRAb 88) that was specific for vvIBDV. CRAb 88 was capable of recognizing all vvIBDV strains tested regardless of their country of origin and showed no reactivity with classical, variant or vaccine strains, lending support to the use of this scFv as a powerful diagnostic tool for the differentiation of vvIBDV strains. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that CRAb 88 was directed towards a highly conformational epitope located within the major neutralizing protein VP2. Sequence analysis of the hypervariable region of VP2 of the IBDV strains tested indicate that Ile(256) and Ile(294) may play roles in binding of CRAb 88. This is the first reagent of its type capable of positively distinguishing vvIBDV from other IBDV strains.&lt;/p&gt;</p