engleski

Viral Agents associated with Poult Enteritis in Croatian Commercial Turkey Flocks

From 2003 to 2006, samples of intestinal content and spleens from 10 day old to 6 weeks old fattening turkeys showing clinical signs of enteritis were analyzed by specific PCR and RT-PCRs for detection of hemorrhagic enteritis virus, avian reovirus, turkey astrovirus-2, and turkey coronavirus. Total of 23 flocks from 6 farms were included in investigation. Specific sequence for hemorrhagic enteritis virus hexon gene was present in 6 samples from turkeys younger and in one from turkeys at 6 weeks of age. A product of turkey astrovirus-2 capsid gene was detected in 17/23 intestinal content samples. A 626-bp band of sigma A encoding gene segment from avian reovirus was present in three samples, all from the same farm. Sequence analysis of 450 bp fragment of avian reovirus sigma A encoding gene sequence showed that our strain had identity of 91.3% with the strains 138, 2408, 1733, 919, T6, and Os161. No turkey coronavirus specific PCR band was found in any sample. Four flocks were positive simultaneously on hemorrhagic enteritis virus and turkey astrovirus-2, and three flocks on turkey astrovirus-2 and avian reovirus. Severity of poult enteritis described in our study is caused by immunosuppressive turkey astrovirus-2 in combination with hemorrhagic enteritis virus or avian reovirus.

Turkeys; avian reovirus; turkey astrovirus-2; hemorrhagic enteritis virus; turkey coronavirus

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