Effect of housing arrangement on fecal-oral transmission of avian hepatitis E virus in chicken flocks

BMC Veterinary Research

Research Article

Gaiping Zhang¹  Yuchen Nan²  Qin Zhao²  Huixia Li²  Taofeng Du²  Xinjie Wang²  Baicheng Huang²  En-Min Zhou²  Yiyang Chen²  Yani Sun²  Baoyuan Liu² 

[1] Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agriculture University, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China;Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, 22 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, China;Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, China;

关键词: Avian HEV;    Housing arrangement;    Virus transmission;    Prevention;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12917-017-1203-4

 received in 2016-12-18, accepted in 2017-08-31,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAvian hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is common in chicken flocks in China, as currently no measures exist to prevent the spread of the disease. In this study, we analyzed the effect of caged versus cage-free housing arrangements on avian HEV transmission. First, 127 serum and 110 clinical fecal samples were collected from 4 chicken flocks including the two arrangements in Shaanxi Province, China and tested for HEV antibodies and/or virus. Concurrently, 36 specific-pathogen-free chickens were divided equally into four experimental living arrangement groups, designated cage-free (Inoculated), caged (Inoculated), cage-free (Negative) and caged (Negative) groups. In caged groups, three cages contained 3 chickens each. Three chickens each from cage-free (Inoculated) and caged (Inoculated) groups (one chicken of each cage) were inoculated by cutaneous ulnar vein with the same dose of avian HEV, respectively. The cage-free (Negative) and caged (Negative) groups served as negative control. Serum and fecal samples were collected at 1 to 7 weeks post-inoculation (wpi) and liver lesions were scored at 7 wpi.ResultsThe results of serology showed that the avian HEV infection rate (54.10%) of the cage-free chickens was significantly higher than the one (12.12%) for caged chickens (P < 0.05). Also, the rate of detection of avian HEV RNA in the clinical fecal samples was significantly higher in the cage-free (22.80%, 13/57) than caged birds (5.66%, 3/53). Moreover, under experimental conditions, the infected number of uninoculated cage-free chickens (6) was significantly higher than the one for the uninoculated caged birds (2), as evidenced by seroconversion, fecal virus shedding, viremia and gross and microscopic liver lesions.ConclusionsThese results suggest that reduction of contact with feces as seen in the caged arrangement of housing chickens can reduce avian HEV transmission. This study provides insights for prevention and control of avian HEV infection in chicken flocks.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017