The objective of this study was to determine the decay rate of maternal antibodies against major broiler chicken pathogens. A total of 30 one-day-old broiler chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery and reared in isolation. These chicks were retrieved from a parent flock that received a routine vaccination program. Chicks were bled at hatch and sequentially thereafter every 5 d through 30 d of age. Maternal antibody titers were measured by ELISA for avian encephalomyelitis (AEV), avian influenza virus (AIV), chicken anemia virus (CAV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), Mycoplasma synoviae (MS), and reovirus (Reo). Maternal antibody titers for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were measured using a hemagglutination inhibition test. Half-life estimates of maternal antibody titers were 5.3, 4.2, 7, 5.1, 3.9, 3.8, 4.9, 4.1, 6.3, and 4.7 d for AEV, AIV, CAV, IBDV, IBV, ILTV, MG, MS, NDV, and Reo, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed significant differences among half-lives of maternal antibody titers against certain pathogens. Furthermore, all maternal antibody titers were depleted by 10 d of age except for IBDV.

Forty-eight 40-wk-old Hi-sex laying hens were individually caged in an environmentally controlled house to evaluate the effect of garlic (Allium Sativum) juice administration on egg production, egg quality, and yolk cholesterol. Garlic juice was prepared by blending pealed garlic cloves with distilled water (1:1, w/w). Hens were randomly divided into four equal groups; one served as a control and the other three groups were individually gavaged, 3.75 ml, 7.5 ml, or 15 ml garlic juice, three times a week, which respectively represented 0.25, 0.50 and 1% of body weight. Egg production was recorded on a daily basis; egg weight, albumen height, albumen and yolk pH, Haugh unit, and bacterial count of E. coli-challenged eggs were recorded at day of oviposition (day-1) and after 5 and 10 days of storage at room temperature. Yolk cholesterol content was analyzed for five successive weeks. Garlic juice increased (p<0.05) egg weight and mass with no change in egg production intensity. Garlic juice administration recorded higher (p<0.05) albumen height and improvement in Haugh unit. Also, eggs from garlic-treated hens recorded lower (p<0.05) albumen and yolk pH when compared to eggs collected from control hens. Garlic reduced (p<0.05) the log 10 of bacterial count in egg contents linearly when challenged with E. coli. Egg-yolk cholesterol content was not influenced by garlic juice administration. It is concluded that garlic juice improved performance characteristics and may increase egg shelf life as indicated by egg quality improvement and lower bacterial count of E. coli-challenged eggs. The levels of garlic juice used in this study were insufficient to influence egg yolk cholesterol.

No abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the rate of antibody transfer on a flock basis from hens to their day-old chicks in meat-type chickens raised in a commercial setting. Fifteen randomly selected hens from a commercial broiler-breeder flock were bled at 37, 40, and 45 wk of age. At day of bleeding, the collected eggs were identified and tracked through hatching where 30 hatchlings were randomly sampled and bled from the jugular vein. Antibodies against 10 different pathogens were quantified from the collected serum samples, and the percentage of maternal antibodies transfer was calculated from the chick antibody titer divided by the hen antibody titer. The results showed a significant variation in the rate of antibody transfer among the pathogens tested for. The transfer percentages were 4.3, 19.5, 25.5, 38.6, 73.6, 6.9, 32.4, 22.4, 29.2, and 32.8 for avian encephalomyelitis virus, avian influenza virus, chicken anemia virus, infectious bronchitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, laryngotracheitis virus, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Newcastle disease virus, and reovirus, respectively. The results of this work may be used in commercial farms to predict the antibody titer in day-old chicks as a function of their dams' antibody titers.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are a valuable tool to monitor changes in viral genomes and determine the genetic heterogeneity of viruses. In this study, NGS was applied to clinical poultry samples from Jordan to detect eleven H9N2 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV). All of the viruses tested belonged to Middle East A genetic group of G1 lineage. Deep sequencing demonstrated a high degree of heterogeneity of glutamine and leucine residues at position 226 in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, which increases specificity to either avian or mammalian-type receptors. Moreover, additional amino acid changes in PB1, PA, M1, M2, and NS1 were identified among the viruses tested. Compared to single gene amplification, application of NGS for surveillance and characterization of H9N2 LPAIV provides a complete genetic profile of emerging isolates and better understanding of the potential of zoonotic transmissions to mammals.

No abstract

The most effective approaches to control the spread of Mycoplasma gallisepticum include strict biosecurity measures, continuous surveillance and eradication of infected flocks. The rapid expansion of the poultry industry worldwide in restricted geographical areas and severe economic losses due to M. gallisepticum outbreaks make it crucial to identify and better control the vectors responsible for the transmission of the disease. In the present study we evaluated the susceptibility of sparrows and pigeons to M. gallisepticum and the tissue distribution of M. gallisepticum in these species as compared with chickens. This information will further define the role of these common avian species in M. gallisepticum transmission. Twenty-six chickens, pigeons, and sparrows were experimentally inoculated with a field strain of M. gallisepticum and were monitored for the development of clinical signs, seroconversion, productive infection by culture, and M. gallisepticum distribution in their tissues by immunohistochemistry. All M. gallisepticum-inoculated chickens showed mild respiratory signs, seroconverted (haemagglutination inhibition geometric mean titre 0494) and shed M. gallisepticum in their tracheas. M. gallisepticum antigens were observed at high levels by immunohistochemistry in their tracheas, conjunctivas, nasal turbinates, and air sacs. The pigeons and sparrows did not show clinical signs or seroconvert but M. gallisepticum was reisolated up to 7 days post inoculation from pigeons and intermittently from sparrows. M. gallisepticum antigens were observed at low level in the conjunctiva of some pigeons and sparrows, as well as in the trachea of some sparrows. We conclude that pigeons and sparrows are partially susceptible to M. gallisepticum infection but do not seroconvert or maintain a steady carrier state similar to chickens and that these species may play a role in M. gallisepticum transmission between poultry farms as mechanical vectors.

Avian pneumovirus (APV) causes upper respiratory tract infection in chickens and turkeys. There is a serious respiratory disease in chickens, resulting in catastrophic economic losses to chicken farmers in Jordan. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of APV as a factor in the respiratory disease of chickens in Jordan by serological and molecular methods. Thirty-eight chicken flocks were examined by competitive ELISA (23 broilers, 8 layers, and 7 broiler breeders), and 150 chicken flocks were examined by reverse-transcription PCR (133 broiler flocks, 7 layer flocks, and 10 broiler breeder flocks). Avian pneumovirus antibodies were detected in 5 out of 23 broiler flocks (21.7%), 6 out of 8 layer flocks (75%), and 7 out of 7 broiler breeder flocks (100%). Avian pneumovirus nucleic acid was detected in 17 broiler flocks (12.8%) and 3 layer flocks (42.9%). None of the broiler breeder flocks tested by reverse-transcription PCR was positive. All of the 20 detected APV isolates were subtype B. This is the first report of APV infection in Jordan. In conclusion, the Jordanian poultry industry, vaccination programs should be adjusted to include the APV vaccine to aid in the control of this respiratory disease.