title: Induction of spotty liver disease in layer hens by infection with Campylobacter hepaticus.
abstract: Spotty liver disease (SLD) in chickens can present with variable impacts on mortality and production, ranging from sporadic mortalities of individual birds and no notable impact on production to severe reduction in egg output and increased mortality in layer flocks of greater than 1% per day. It was first described over 60 years ago and there have been sporadic reports of the disease throughout the intervening decades, particularly in the US, UK and Germany. Recently it has become of increasing concern as outbreaks of the disease have occurred more frequently, particularly in the Australian poultry industry. An understanding of the causes of the disease has proven elusive. However, recent studies of SLD have strongly implicated a novel Campylobacter species, Campylobacter hepaticus, as the causative agent. Here we demonstrate that C. hepaticus is highly invasive in LMH cells, an immortalised chicken hepatoma cell line, and can induce disease when orally delivered to mature layer birds. Challenged birds developed liver lesions, typical of those seen in field clinical cases, within 5days of challenge. The bacterium used to challenge the birds could be recovered from the diseased liver and from bile, thus demonstrating that C. hepaticus is the causative agent of chicken SLD.
authors.affiliation: School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campus, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: thithuhao.van@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Thi Thu Hao
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Van
authors.affiliation: School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campus, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: eltaher.elshagmani@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Eltaher
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elshagmani
authors.affiliation: School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campus, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: mianchee.gor@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Mian-Chee
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gor
authors.affiliation: Scolexia Pty Ltd., Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: aanwar@scolexia.com.au.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.affiliation: Scolexia Pty Ltd., Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: pscott@scolexia.com.au.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campus, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: rob.moore@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001646:Bile / Q000382:microbiology; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Campylobacter hepaticus; Chicken; Disease model; Invasion; LMH cells; Spotty liver disease