Decreased egg production in turkeys experimentally infected with eastern equine encephalitis virus or Highlands J virus.
Turkey breeder hens were experimentally infected with strains of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus or Highlands J (HJ) virus previously isolated from turkey hens experiencing decreased egg production. Depression and inappetance were observed on day 1 postexposure (PE) in hens inoculated with either EEE virus or HJ virus, and egg production fell in each virus-inoculated group from approximately 75% to less than 20% within 2-3 days PE. Egg production remained depressed (less than 20%) for 15 days in EEE-virus-inoculated hens and for 7 days in HJ-virus-inoculated hens. EEE virus and HJ virus were recovered from various tissues on days 1-5 PE, and virus was detected in eggs laid on days 2-5 PE. The findings of this study confirm that EEE virus and HJ virus are potential causes of decreased egg production in turkey breeder hens.
Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606.
J S
JS
Guy
H J
HJ
Barnes
M D
MD
Ficken
L G
LG
Smith
W H
WH
Emory
D P
DP
Wages
D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D004663:Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004683:Encephalomyelitis, Equine / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D010058:Oviposition; D010063:Ovum / Q000473:pathology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology