Egg-production drop in turkeys associated with alphaviruses: eastern equine encephalitis virus and Highlands J virus.
Alphaviruses were isolated from tracheas of turkey breeders in two North Carolina flocks experiencing a severe drop in egg production. Highlands J virus was isolated from one of the breeder flocks, in which production decreased by as much as 72.6% in selected houses over a 48-to-96-hour period. Eastern equine encephalitis virus was isolated from the second breeder flock, which experienced an egg-production drop of 44.5%. Clinical signs in both flocks were similar, with inactivity and the egg-production drop being the only clinical signs observed. Eggs from affected breeders were small and white, and a few were soft-shelled. Sera collected from the flocks 2 to 3 weeks after production began dropping confirmed the presence of antibodies to the viruses recovered. In the first flock, egg production failed to return to above 50%, although heat stress may have played a role in production recovery. The second flock was taken out of production and recycled.
Wages
D P
DP
Department of Food Animal and Equine Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606.
Ficken
M D
MD
Guy
J S
JS
Cummings
T S
TS
Jennings
S R
SR
D000524:Alphavirus; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004531:Eggs; D004663:Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine; D004683:Encephalomyelitis, Equine / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D010058:Oviposition; D011201:Poultry Diseases; D014422:Turkeys
D000914:Antibodies, Viral