Campylobacter bilis, the second novel Campylobacter species isolated from chickens with Spotty Liver Disease, can cause the disease

Van, Thi Thu Hao; Phung, Canh; Anwar, Arif; Wilson, Timothy B.; Scott, Peter C.; Moore, Robert J.

doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109603

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Gregory et al . (5) were the first to report the isolation of C. hepaticus from Hy-Line W36 breed hens in the Midwestern United States from a highrise cage system. Arukha et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2, 3) proposed the name Campylobacter hepaticus and demonstrated that C. hepaticus was the cause of SLD by reproducing the disease. Recently, Campylobacter bilis has also been isolated from chickens with SLD and has been suggested as a second Campylobacter species implicated as a causative agent in poultry (4,5). Campylobacter hepaticus is a Gram-negative organism that grows under microaerophilic conditions at 37 C to 42 C, has an S-shape cell morphology, and has a single bipolar flagella.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Campylobacter hepaticus in the Production Environment and Stagnant Water as a Potential Source of C. hepaticus Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Free-Range Laying Hens in Georgia, United States

et al. 2023

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SUMMARYSpotty liver disease (SLD) has emerged as an important cause of disease in egg-producing flocks in countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia and has emerged in the United States. The organisms implicated in SLD include Campylobacter hepaticus and, more recently, Campylobacter bilis. These organisms have been found to cause focal lesions on the livers of infected birds. Campylobacter hepaticus infection results in reduced egg production, decreased feed consumption resulting in reduced egg size, and increased mortality of highly valuable hens. In the fall of 2021, birds from two flocks (A and B) of organic pasture–raised laying hens were submitted to the Poultry Diagnostic Research Center at the University of Georgia with a history suspicious of SLD. Postmortem examination of Flock A found 5/6 hens had small multifocal lesions on the liver and were PCR positive for C. hepaticus from pooled swab analysis of samples of the liver and gall bladder. Necropsy of Flock B found 6/7 submitted birds had spotty liver lesions. In pooled bile swabs, 2/7 hens from Flock B were also PCR positive for C. hepaticus. A follow-up visit to Flock A was scheduled 5 days later, as well as a visit to a flock where SLD has not been reported (Flock C), which was used as a comparative control. Samples of the liver, spleen, cecal tonsil, ceca, blood, and gall bladder were collected from six hens per house. Additionally, feed, water nipples, and environmental water (stagnant water outside the house) were collected from the affected farm and the control farm. To detect the organism, all samples collected were subjected to direct plating on blood agar and enrichment in Preston broth with incubation under microaerophilic conditions. After multiple phases of bacterial culture purification from all samples, single bacterial cultures displaying characteristics of C. hepaticus were tested by PCR to confirm identity. From Flock A, liver, ceca, cecal tonsils, gall bladder, and environmental water were PCR positive for C. hepaticus. No positive samples were detected in Flock C. After another follow-up visit, 10 wk later, Flock A was PCR positive for C. hepaticus from gall bladder bile and feces and one environmental water sample displayed a weak positive reaction for C. hepaticus. Flock C was PCR negative for C. hepaticus. To gain more knowledge about C. hepaticus prevalence, a survey of 6 layer hens from 12 different layer hen flocks between the ages of 7 to 80 wk, raised in different housing systems, were tested for C. hepaticus. The 12 layer hen flocks were culture and PCR negative for C. hepaticus. Currently, there are no approved treatments for C. hepaticus and no vaccine is available. The results of this study suggest that C. hepaticus may be endemic in some areas of the United States, and free-range laying hens may be exposed from the environment/stagnant water in areas where they range.

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“…Gregory et al . (5) were the first to report the isolation of C. hepaticus from Hy-Line W36 breed hens in the Midwestern United States from a highrise cage system. Arukha et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Campylobacter hepaticus in the Production Environment and Stagnant Water as a Potential Source of C. hepaticus Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Free-Range Laying Hens in Georgia, United States

et al. 2023

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“…In 2021, another Campylobacter species capable of causing SLD, designated as Campylobacter bilis, due to its ability to be isolated from bile was identified ( Phung et al, 2022 ; Van et al, 2023 ). It is understood that the PCR method used in this study would detect the presence of both C. hepaticus and C. bilis (R. Moore, personal communication).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scratch area as an epidemiological risk factor for Spotty Liver Disease in cage-free layers in Australia

et al. 2023

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In infected birds, C. hepaticus causes multiple white/gray spots on the livers as well as reductions in egg production and mortality ( Crawshaw and Young, 2003 ; Grimes and Reece, 2011 ; Phung et al, 2019 ), in some cases, mortality as high as 10% has been reported with egg reductions of 25% ( Crawshaw and Young, 2003 ; Grimes and Reece, 2011 ; Phung et al, 2019 ; Van et al, 2022 ). In addition, pre-disposition of a flock increases the likelihood of clinical disease usually in the form of a stressor ( Van et al, 2022 ). Evidence suggests SLD is most common in free range layers, especially those free ranging outdoors or on deep litter ( Crawshaw and Young, 2003 ) as opposed to caged layers where the disease does not appear to be as common; however, cases of SLD have also been reported in caged layers ( Grimes and Reece, 2011 ; Gregory et al, 2018 ; Arukha et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative genomic analysis of Campylobacter hepaticus genomes associated with spotty liver disease, Georgia, United States

Ienes-Lima

Becerra

2023

Front. Microbiol.

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Campylobacter hepaticus has re-emerged as an important cause of disease in egg laying birds worldwide, resulting in morbidity, mortality, and significant losses in eggs for the breeding and table egg laying industries. Although birds may appear asymptomatic, the disease is characterized by spots on the liver of birds and histopathological analysis reveals multifocal fibrogranulocytic necrotizing hepatitis microscopically. The re-emergence of C. hepaticus may be linked with housing practices as the disease appears more prevalent in pasture raised birds with outside exposure. Here we describe, the whole genome sequences and comparative analysis of four C. hepaticus genomes associated with an outbreak on pasture raised breeders from a farm in Georgia, United States. All four genomes were relatively similar in size and virulence genes harbored. Using these genomes, comparison with current C. hepaticus genomes available in NCBI and other databases and other members of the Campylobacter species was carried out. Using current tools available, virulence gene factor content was compared, and it was found that different tools lead to different numbers of factors identified. The four genomes from this study were relatively similar to C. hepaticus HV10 the type strain from Australia but differed from the other sequenced US strains from Iowa and Florida. C. hepaticus was found to have an overall lower gene content for genes associated with virulence and iron acquisition compared to other Campylobacter genomes and appears to cluster differently than UK genomes on phylogenetic analysis, suggesting the emergence of two lineages of C. hepaticus. This analysis provides valuable insight into the emerging pathogen C. hepaticus, its virulence factors and traits associated with disease in poultry production in the US, potentially providing insight into targets for its control and treatment for laying birds. Our analysis also confirms genes associated with iron acquisition are limited and the presence of the multidrug efflux pump CmeABC in C. hepaticus which may promote survival and persistence in the host niche – the chicken liver/bile. One unique aspect of this study was the finding of a close genetic relationship between C. hepaticus and Campylobacter fetus species and evidence of genome reduction in relation to host niche specificity.

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Campylobacter bilis, the second novel Campylobacter species isolated from chickens with Spotty Liver Disease, can cause the disease

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Campylobacter hepaticus in the Production Environment and Stagnant Water as a Potential Source of C. hepaticus Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Free-Range Laying Hens in Georgia, United States

Campylobacter hepaticus in the Production Environment and Stagnant Water as a Potential Source of C. hepaticus Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Free-Range Laying Hens in Georgia, United States

Scratch area as an epidemiological risk factor for Spotty Liver Disease in cage-free layers in Australia

Comparative genomic analysis of Campylobacter hepaticus genomes associated with spotty liver disease, Georgia, United States

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