Egg-production drop in turkeys associated with alphaviruses: eastern equine encephalitis virus and highlands J virus

• Published in: Avian diseases Vol. 37; no. 4; p. 1163
• Main Authors: Wages, D.P, Ficken, M.D, Guy, J.S, Cummings, T.S, Jennings, S.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1993
• Subjects: ALPHAVIRUS; Alphavirus Infections - diagnosis; Alphavirus Infections - physiopathology; Alphavirus Infections - veterinary; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; CAROLINA DEL NORTE; CAROLINE DU NORD; DINDON; Eggs; Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine; Encephalomyelitis, Equine - diagnosis; Encephalomyelitis, Equine - physiopathology; Encephalomyelitis, Equine - veterinary; ESTUDIOS DE CASOS PRACTICOS; ETUDE DE CAS; Female; Oviposition; PAVO; Poultry Diseases; PRODUCCION DE HUEVOS; PRODUCTION D'OEUFS; SINTOMAS; SYMPTOME; TRACHEE; TRAQUEA; Turkeys
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.2307/1591931

Alphaviruses were isolated from tracheas of turkey breeders in two North Carolina flocks experiencing a severe drop in egg production. Highlands J virus was isolated from one of the breeder flocks, in which production decreased by as much as 72.6% in selected houses over a 48-to-96-hour period. Eastern equine encephalitis virus was isolated from the second breeder flock, which experienced an egg-production drop of 44.5%. Clinical signs in both flocks were similar, with inactivity and the egg production drop being the only clinical signs observed. Eggs from affected breeders were small and white, and a few were soft-shelled. Sera collected from the flocks 2 to 3 weeks after production began dropping confirmed the presence of antibodies to the viruses recovered. In the first flock, egg production failed to return to above 50%, although heat stress may have played a role in production recovery. The second flock was taken out of production and recycled