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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349652
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Prevent and Control Disease Outbreaks Caused by Emerging Strains of Avian Influenza Viruses

Location: Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research

Title: Co-infection of chickens with low pathogenicity avian influenza virus, infectious bronchitis virus and Mycoplasma synoviae

Author
item Pantin Jackwood, Mary
item Smith, Diane
item LEYSON, CHRISTINA - Orise Fellow
item YOUK, SUNGSU - Orise Fellow
item JACKWOOD, MARK - University Of Georgia
item GARCIA, MARICARMEN - University Of Georgia
item FERGUNSON-NOEL, NAOLA - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) can produce a mild to moderate upper respiratory disease in chickens that can be aggravated by other factors including other respiratory pathogens. A common lesion reported with some LPAIV’s is tracheal plugs, but this lesion has not been reproduced in birds experimentally infected with these viruses. Since commercial poultry is routinely exposed to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS), we studied the dynamics of AIV-IBV-MS co-infections and their effect on disease and virus shedding. Specific pathogen free leghorn chickens were inoculated with MS followed five days later with H5N2 LPAIV (Mexico lineage) and/or an IBV virulent field strain (Ark). Mild conjunctivitis was the only clinical sign observed in LPAIV-inoculated birds. Moderate to severe conjunctivitis was present in all birds inoculated with IBV, single or co-infected. In addition to conjunctivitis, birds co-infected with MS+IBV or MS+IBV+LPAIV had rales, swollen heads, and at necropsy, pinpoint hemorrhages and exudates in the trachea. Birds inoculated only with LPAIV had mild microscopic lesions in the trachea. These lesions were severe in birds inoculated with IBV and MS, especially in birds co-infected with IBV+MS or IBV+MS+LPAIV. Co-infection with LPAIV increased IBV shedding, and higher MS shedding was found in co-infected birds compared to birds only infected with MS. In this study, although no tracheal plugs were observed, the damage to the trachea was more pronounced than what observed in previous LPAIV+IBV co-infection studies, indicating that MS, or similar pathogens, are likely necessary to reproduce this lesion in the field.