engleski

Mixed viral enteritis of turkey poults in Croatia

Poultry enteritis complex (PEC) is an infectious disease of young turkeys characterized by diarrhea, decreased growth, increased morbidity and mortality and immunosuppression. Numerous viruses, including turkey coronavirus (TCV), turkey astrovirus type 2 (TAstV-2), and avian reoviruses (ARVs), have been associated with PEC-like disease. At the end of 2002 in a largest turkey farm in Croatia the symptoms similar to PEC appeared. Enteritis was usually observed in turkeys 2-5 weeks of age, and it was clinically manifested with diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration and cachexia. The disease was last for 14 days. Sick birds were eating litter rather than pelleted food which resulted in constipation of gizzard and death. Mortality was not exceeded 1 % per week. Older turkeys showed milder symptoms. From 2002 to 2005, clinical samples (intestine, bursa of Fabricius) from affected poults, ranging from 10 days to 6 weeks of age, were collected, processed and tested for detection of turkey coronavirus (TCV), turkey astrovirus (TastV-2) and avian reovirus (ARV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A 849 bp-product of TastV-2 capsid gene was present in 12/20 intestinal content sample. A 348 bp-band which corresponds to ARV S3 gene was present in all 20 bursas. No TCV specific PCR band was found in any sample. Coinfection was present in 12 turkey flocks. Emergence of turkey enteritis and severity of clinical disease were due to specific intestinal viruses as well as stress caused by production technology.

poult enteritis; turkey astrovirus; turkey reovirus; Croatia

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