Poultry diseases and treatment

Dr. Mujeeb Ather Asst. Director (Pathologist)
Veterinary Biological Research Institute, Hyderabad .

Also known as Angara disease, Leechi disease, Aplastic anemia and inclusion body hepatitis

Caustive agent – A strain of adenovirus or Chicken anemia virus.

SIGNS

• Sudden onset.
• Signs are rare.
• Occasionally birds debilitated, reluctant to move and ruffled feathers.
• Affects chicks of 3 to 5 week age.
• Mortality reaches 70% in acute cases.

LESIONS

• Liver – enlarged and congested.
• Pericardium filled with fluid.
• Heart – petechial and ecchymotic haemorrhages.
• Lungs – congestion and oederma.
• Kidney – enlarged, pale and friable.
• Splenomegaly.

Pericardium filled with fluid

HISTOPATHOLOGY

• Liver – necrosis with mononuclear cell infiltration, presence of large round

Basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in the hepatocytes.

• Cardiac muscle – oedematous with monounclear cell infiltration.
• Lungs – congested, haemorrhagic, catarrhal inflammation and oedema.

Intranuclear inclusion bodies

DIAGNOSIS

• Gross lesions.
• Histopathology.
• Serological tests H.A. test, A.G.P.T., S.N.T.
• ELISA and FAT.
• Isolation of the virus.

GIZZARD EROSION

• Etiology is not known.
• Commonly seen in the age group of 3 to 6 week pullets and broilers
• Gizzard is eroded and darkened with necrotic areas on epithelium.
• In acute cases the morality is up to 35% .