title: Ascites syndrome in SPF Light Sussex chickens.
abstract: An ascites syndrome was induced in 17 to 28 per cent of specific pathogen-free (SPF) Light Sussex (LSX) chickens given a low protein (16 per cent crude protein) high calcium (3.5 per cent calcium) layer crumble feed on two separate occasions 6 months apart. Affected chickens had increased right ventricular weight as a proportion of either total heart weight or live-weight at 3 weeks of age, compared with non-affected LSX chickens on the same feed, thus indicating right ventricular hypertrophy. The incidence of ascites was not increased by infection with avian nephritis virus, nor by limited cold-stress during brooding. It was not produced in LSX chickens given other feeds, nor in SPF Rhode Island Red chickens.
authors.affiliation: AFRC Institute for Animal Health, Houghton Laboratory, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, U.K.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reece
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002645:Chickens; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015994:Incidence; D007243:Infectious bursal disease virus; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013577:Syndrome