Molecular Identification of Fowl Adenovirus Associated with Inclusion Body Hepatitis in Iran

Abstract

Background and Aims: Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) is one of the most important reemerging diseases in many countries with intensive poultry industries. In Iran, the etiological agent of IBH (fowl adenovirus) has not been yet confirmed. The aim of this study was the molecular detection and identification of fowl adenovirus involving IBH in chicken flocks in Iran. Materials and Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis of L1 hexon gene was utilized to detect and to determinate the genotypes of Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) in broiler breeder flocks. Histopathological sections were prepared and examined. Results: FAdVs were detected in livers. Based on sequencing analysis of the hexon gene, they were genetically related to FAdV-11, a member of the fowl adenovirus D species, with 98% homology to Korean strain in 2011. Histological examination revealed necrotizing hepatitis with basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in the hepatocytes. Conclusion: This study provided evidence for the role of fowl adenoviruses as agents, causing this clinical disease in Iran and indicated the importance of accurate diagnosis and prevention in the meat-type flocks.

Clinicopathological characteristics of acute inclusion body hepatitis outbreak in broiler chickens in Iran

“…The main pathological findings of the present study are coincident with those previously described (Sandhu et al, 1994;Pilkington et al, 1997;Gaba et al, 2010;Hosseini & Morshed, 2012;Rahimi & Siavosh Haghighi, 2015). In this study, histopathological lesions of the liver did not reveal eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies described by some authors (Sileo et al, 1983;Coussement et al, 1984;Riddell, 1984;Pass, 1987;Goryo et al, 1988;Schelling et al, 1989;Rahimi & Siavosh Haghighi, 2015) in cases of adenovirus IBH.…”

“…Some studies in Canada supported the hypothesis that IBH in broilers is a primary disease without known immunosuppressive agents (Gomis et al, 2006). Also, previous studies in Iran did not mention any cooccurring disease or other predisposing factor in studied flocks (Hosseini & Morshed, 2012;Rahimi & Siavosh Haghighi, 2015). Hosseini & Morshed (2012) identified serotype 11 fowl adenovirus as the causative agent of IBH.…”

“…Also, previous studies in Iran did not mention any cooccurring disease or other predisposing factor in studied flocks (Hosseini & Morshed, 2012;Rahimi & Siavosh Haghighi, 2015). Hosseini & Morshed (2012) identified serotype 11 fowl adenovirus as the causative agent of IBH. In the present study, it seems that the virus as a primary pathogen induced immunosuppression without any other predisposing factors.…”

The detection of fowl adenovirus in chickens with hydropericardium syndrome in Isfahan and Charmahal-Va-Bakhtiyari provinces, Iran

“…Hossini and Morshed identified FAdVs-11 serotype from dead 3-week-old broiler chicken flock and showed that this serotype caused clinical disease and mortality in this flock. 11 Since the primers used in this study can amplify DNA from all the 12 FAdV serotypes, it is unlikely that the negative results in some samples were due to PCR performance. Another possibility is that the viral load in the samples was below the detection limit.…”

Characterisation of fowl adenovirus (FAdV-8b) strain concerning the geographic analysis and pathological lesions associated with inclusion body hepatitis in broiler flocks in Turkey

“…FAdV-6 and FAdV-2 were detected from Saudi poultry flocks by Mohamed et al (15). In Lebanon, FAdV-11 was found in commercial broiler flocks (32), and in Iran, two FAdV species D and E (FAdV-11, FAdV-8b) were linked with outbreaks of IBH (7,16,18). Similarly, an investigation of the outbreaks of IBH in Australia, South Africa, Austria, and Spain reported FAdV-8b or FAdV-11 in broiler flocks (10,24,30,34).…”