title: The role of type-2 turkey astrovirus in poult enteritis syndrome.
abstract: An experimental study was conducted to determine the comparative pathogenicity of type-2 turkey astrovirus (TAstV-2) obtained from turkey flocks afflicted with poult enteritis syndrome (PES) and from turkey flocks displaying no apparent signs of infection. In total, ninety 7-d-old poults, which tested negative for the presence of astrovirus, rotavirus, coronavirus, and reovirus by reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR , were divided evenly into 3 groups: A, B, and C. Birds in group A were inoculated orally with turkey astrovirus-positive intestinal contents from birds affected with PES. Group B received turkey astrovirus-containing intestinal contents from apparently healthy flocks. Group C served as a negative control and was given PBS. Clinical signs of diarrhea, depression, and dullness were observed in group A. Birds in group B also showed clinical signs similar to those in group A, although the signs were milder in nature. Birds in group C did not show any clinical signs. At 16 d postinoculation, the BW of birds in group A was significantly lower than that of birds in groups B or C. In addition, the bursa size was reduced in group A, but not in groups B or C. Birds in groups A and B, but not in group C, were found to shed turkey astrovirus in their feces, as detected by RT-PCR. These results provide a preliminary indication that TAstV-2 from PES birds may be more pathogenic than TAstV-2 from apparently healthy poults. Further studies are needed to determine if pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of TAstV-2 exist in the environment. These results also reinforce our previous observations that astrovirus is involved in PES, causing significant retardation in growth and weight gain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durrani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jindal
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Patnayak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D052676:Avastrovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004751:Enteritis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014422:Turkeys; D017201:Virus Shedding; D015430:Weight Gain
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1984 Mar 17;114(11):279
references.pmid: 6424324
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2009 Jun;53(2):268-75
references.pmid: 19630235
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2008 Jun;52(2):235-44
references.pmid: 18646452
references.citation: Poult Sci. 2001 Aug;80(8):1223-30
references.pmid: 11495476
references.citation: Avian Pathol. 2008 Apr;37(2):193-201
references.pmid: 18393099
references.citation: Poult Sci. 2009 May;88(5):949-58
references.pmid: 19359682
references.citation: J Virol. 2003 Nov;77(21):11798-808
references.pmid: 14557664
references.citation: Lancet. 1975 Sep 6;2(7932):451-2
references.pmid: 51251
references.citation: Virology. 2010 Jun 5;401(2):146-54
references.pmid: 20219227
references.citation: Avian Pathol. 2002 Jun;31(3):213-27
references.pmid: 12396344
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2009 Dec;53(4):517-22
references.pmid: 20095151
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1965 Apr 24;77:487-8
references.pmid: 14331419
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1980 Jun 28;106(26):561
references.pmid: 6776680
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2006 Dec;50(4):526-31
references.pmid: 17274289
references.citation: Poult Sci. 2010 Feb;89(2):217-26
references.pmid: 20075272
references.citation: Avian Pathol. 2010 Feb;39(1):53-61
references.pmid: 20390537
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2007 Sep;51(3):681-4
references.pmid: 17992926
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2000 Apr-Jun;44(2):297-304
references.pmid: 10879909
references.citation: Avian Dis. 1986 Oct-Dec;30(4):728-35
references.pmid: 3814010
references.citation: Avian Dis. 2007 Sep;51(3):674-80
references.pmid: 17992925
references.citation: Rev Sci Tech. 2000 Aug;19(2):565-88
references.pmid: 10935280