Topics in Medicine and Surgery
Postmortem Survey of Disease Conditions in Backyard Poultry

https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2015.04.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The laboratory information systems of the Avian Health and Food Safety Laboratory (AHFSL) and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) were analyzed to determine the disease frequency, by etiology, for backyard chicken submissions. Marek’s disease and Escherichia coli infection were by far the most common disease conditions diagnosed in both laboratories (17.7% and 17.4% at AHFSL versus 14.5% and 13.5% at CAHFS), followed by coccidiosis (AHFSL = 5.9%, CAHFS = 3.8%), ascaridiasis (AHFSL = 5.6%, CAHFS = 3.1%), and Mycoplasma gallisepticum (AHFSL = 3.2%, CAHFS = 3.6%). Neoplasia of the reproductive tract, ascites syndrome, and fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome were found at a higher rate at AHFSL (13.9%, 8%, and 5.1%, respectively) than at CAHFS (1.6%, 1%, and 1.8%, respectively). This difference might have been related to the flock purpose and age of birds submitted. The 2 notifiable diseases of poultry, Newcastle disease and avian influenza, are rare in backyard poultry and neither of these diseases was diagnosed during the investigated period.

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Materials and Methods

For the purpose of this study, only chickens were included. Records between July 2010 and July 2014 from the Avian Health and Food Safety Laboratory (AHFSL, a branch of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University) were searched. Records from January 2001 to December 2013 from the Fresno, Tulare, and Turlock branches of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS, University of California, Davis) were also analyzed. Backyard flocks

Results

A total of 780 cases were submitted to AHFSL during the 4 year study period, resulting in an annual average of 195 cases. Unfortunately, disease codes were only available for 373 cases. In contrast, 1225 cases were submitted and analyzed from CAHFS. The diagnosis frequency ranks for these cases are presented in Table. In summary, Marek’s disease (MD) was by far the most common disease condition diagnosed in both laboratories. Bacterial infections were more commonly identified at CAHFS (34.9%)

Discussion

MD, which is caused by a herpes virus, is described as a disease of young chickens, (e.g., 5-month old and younger), before they reach maturity, but has been diagnosed in birds up to 1 year of age. When birds are initially infected with MD, there is little overt evidence of disease. Clinical disease signs may take 4 weeks or longer to develop, depending on the virulence of the virus and the site of tumor growth. Typical clinical disease signs associated with MD include weight loss, paralysis,

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