Nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis (NIB) was diagnosed in 28 infectious bronchitis virus (IBV)-vaccinated commercial chicken flocks in Pennsylvania from December 1997 to July 2000. Early dinical signs were increased flock mortality and urinary water loss (polyuria and pollakiuria) leading to wet litter. Daily mortality ranged from 0.01% in layers to 2.45% in broilers, with total broiler mortality as high as 23%. Severe renal swelling and accumulation of urates in the tubules were commonly seen. Visceral gout and urolithiasis were less frequently observed. Histopathologic changes included characteristic tubular epithelial degeneration and sloughing with lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis. Minimal respiratory disease signs were noted in broilers. Egg production and shell quality declined in layers. Confirmatory diagnosis of NIB was made by IBV antigen-specific immunohistochemical staining of the renal tubular epithelium and virus isolation. Sequencing of the S1 subunit gene of 21 IBV isolates showed the NIB outbreak to be associated with two unique genotypes, PA/Wolgemuth/98 and PA/171/99. The cases from which the genotypes were isolated were clinically indistinguishable. The NIB viruses were unrelated to previously recognized endemic strains in Pennsylvania and were also dissimilar to each other. Genotype PA/Wolgemuth/98 was isolated almost exclusively during the first 14 mo of the outbreak, whereas PA/171/99 was recovered during the final 18 mo. The reason for the apparent replacement of PA/Wolgemuth/98 by PA/171/99 is not known.

The growth and biological characteristics of isolates of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) from commercial broiler chickens in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A. appear to be identical to those previously reported in the literature. The clinical disease and lesions are also similar to those reported from other poultry growing regions including South Africa and Europe. The diagnostic cases included in this report were often associated with known respiratory pathogens, namely, lentogenic Newcastle disease virus, and infectious bronchitis virus, and Escherichia coli bacteria. The role of ORT in the disease cases presented in this report is unclear.

Aim To evaluate predictability, safety, efficacy, and visual outcome of StreamLight. ™ (SL.), the newly released single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy platform by Alcon WaveLight™ (WL). Methods In this prospective cohort study, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) was conducted on 500 eyes of 250 patients seeking myopic refractive vision correction. The new single-step transepithelial PRK method was applied, using the SL. platform installed in the WL. Ex 500 excimer laser machine. Patients were followed up to monitor intensity and duration of postoperative pain, as well as speed of epithelial healing in the early post-operative period and visual acuity, postoperative refraction and development of postoperative haze for one year post-operatively. Results Average pain duration was 1.5 days, and the mean pain intensity score on a scale of 0–10 was 3.74 + 1.51. Mean postoperative spherical equivalence was 0.01 ± 0.38 D, and the final postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) was 20/20 in 98% of eyes included in this study. None of the eyes lost more than one Snellen chart line or developed visually significant postoperative haze during the follow-up period. Conclusion The new SL. platform for transepithelial PRK is a safe, accurate platform, offering an easier early post-operative recovery, with no compromise in final visual outcome.

HIS study aimed to isolate and identify Salmonella spp. From human and chickens by using culture method, serotyping, antimicrobial sensitivity test and detection of virulence genes (invA, avrA, bcfC, stn). A total of 245 samples and swabs including (36 cloacal swabs, 17 intestinal contents, 60 chicken product[ luncheon, nuggets , kofta, pane, 15 of each], 45 chicken meat [ breast, thigh, wing, 15 of each], 20 hand swabs , 27 stool (diarrheic and nondiarrheic ) and 40 serum) from humans for Widal test. The results revealed that 31 samples and swabs were positive to Salmonella, 6 isolates were isolated from broilers cloacal swabs, 7 isolates were isolated from chicken meat (4 in thigh samples and 3 in breast samples and swabs), 2 isolates were isolated from chicken products (one isolate in kofta sample and one isolates in pane swabs), 3 isolates were isolated from intestinal swabs, 4 isolates were isolated from hand swabs from workers in farms and poultry shops and 4 isolates were isolated from stool of diarrheic and non-diarrheic persons while 5 isolates were isolated from serum. Serotyping revealed 9 strains of S.

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