title: Seroprevalence of avian hepatitis E virus and avian leucosis virus subgroup J in chicken flocks with hepatitis syndrome, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From 2014 to 2015 in China, many broiler breeder and layer hen flocks exhibited a decrease in egg production and some chickens developed hepatitis syndrome including hepatomegaly, hepatic necrosis and hemorrhage. Avian hepatitis E virus (HEV) and avian leucosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) both cause decreasing in egg production, hepatomegaly and hepatic hemorrhage in broiler breeder and layer hens. In the study, the seroprevalence of avian HEV and ALV-J in these flocks emerging the disease from Shandong and Shaanxi provinces were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1995 serum samples were collected from 14 flocks with hepatitis syndrome in Shandong and Shaanxi provinces, China. Antibodies against avian HEV and ALV-J in these serum samples were detected using iELISAs. The seroprevalence of anti-avian HEV antibodies (35.09%) was significantly higher than that of anti-ALV-J antibodies (2.16%) (p = 0.00). Moreover, the 43 serum samples positive for anti-ALV-J antibodies were all also positive for anti-avian HEV antibodies. In a comparison of both provinces, Shandong chickens exhibited a significantly higher seroprevalence of anti-avian HEV antibodies (42.16%) than Shaanxi chickens (26%) (p = 0.00). In addition, the detection of avian HEV RNA and ALV-J cDNA in the liver samples from the flocks of two provinces also showed the same results of the seroprevalence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, the results showed that avian HEV infection is widely prevalent and ALV-J infection is endemic in the flocks with hepatitis syndrome from Shandong and Shaanxi provinces of China. These results suggested that avian HEV infection may be the major cause of increased egg drop and hepatitis syndrome observed during the last 2 years in China. These results should be useful to guide development of prevention and control measures to control the diseases within chicken flocks in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Yani
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Taofeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Baoyuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Shahid Faraz
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Yiyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Huixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xinjie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Gaiping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. zhouem@nwsuaf.edu.cn.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. zhouem@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. qinzhao_2004@nwsuaf.edu.cn.|Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. qinzhao_2004@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001353:Avian Leukosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D052678:Hepevirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Antibodies; Avian hepatitis E virus; Avian leucosis virus subgroup J; Seroprevalence