title: Neonatal avian pneumovirus infection in commercial turkeys.
abstract: Eleven market turkey flocks developed a respiratory disease characterized by coughing, swollen sinuses and nasal discharge. These symptoms first appeared between 3 and 16 days of age. Avian pneumovirus (APV) RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in six of six flocks tested. APV was detected by immunohistochemistry in turbinates of three of three affected flocks tested. Virus isolation attempts were negative. Ten of 11 flocks became seropositive on the APV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Five weeks prior to hatch of these affected market turkeys, several breeder flocks in one geographic area had developed clinical signs and experienced decline in egg production typical of APV infection. In two breeder flocks, acute and convalescent sera indicated APV infection during the period of declining egg production. Attempts to detect APV RNA by RT-PCR from choanal cleft swabs of newly hatched poults were successful. Attempts to isolate the virus from these PCR-positive samples were negative.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul 55108, USA.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Jirjis
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Njenga
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Noll
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Nagaraja
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Halvorson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D018111:Pneumovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018186:Pneumovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014420:Turbinates / Q000821:virology; D014422:Turkeys
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral