title: Hydropericardium syndrome outbreak caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 in China in 2015.
abstract: There have been many outbreaks of hydropericardium syndrome (HPS), which is characterized by pericardial effusion and hepatitis, in Chinese chicken farms since June 2015. HPS was mainly found in miscellaneous meat-type chickens, Ma chickens, layer chicks and Three-yellow chickens, while it was occasionally found in white broilers. To determine the specific causative pathogen and pathogenicity of HPS in chickens, we collected 25 suspected cases and performed clinical pathology and aetiology analyses. The results showed that the 25 cases exhibited multifocal hepatitis with intra-nuclear inclusion bodies and 70 nm-latticed viral particles in the cell nuclei. All samples were positive for fowl adenovirus (FAdV), and sequencing results showed that the hexon gene shared the highest nucleotide similarities with the hexon gene of group 1 serotype 4 (FAdV-4). FAdV-4 was highly pathogenic to embryos and specific pathogen-free chickens, causing 100 and 70 % mortality rates, respectively. Thus, FAdV-4 is associated with HPS outbreaks in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Gui-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong-Lei
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Si-Dang
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D000259:Aviadenovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*