Abstract:
Inclusion body hepatitis is an acute disease of chickens ascribed to viruses of the genus
Aviadenovirus and referred to as fowl adenovirus (FAdV). There are 12 FAdV types (FAdV1
to FAdV8a and FAdV8b to FAdV11), classified into five species based on their genotype
(designated FAdVA to FAdVE). A total of 218 000 chickens, 2–29 days of age, were affected
over a 1-year period, all testing positive by microscopy, virus isolation and confirmation
with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Affected birds were depressed, lost body weight,
were weak and had watery droppings. Pathological changes observed during necropsy
indicated consistent changes in the liver, characterised by hepatomegaly, cholestasis and
hepatitis. Lesions were also discernible in the spleen, kidney and gizzard wall and were
characterised by splenomegaly, pinpoint haemorrhages, nephritis with haemorrhage,
visceral gout and serosal ecchymosis of the gizzard wall. Histopathological lesions were
most consistently observed in the liver but could also be seen in renal and splenic tissue.
Virus isolation was achieved in embryonated eggs and most embryos revealed multifocal
to diffuse hepatic necrosis, with a mixed cellular infiltrate of macrophages and heterophils
(necro-granulomas), even in the absence of macroscopic pathology. Virus isolation results
were verified by histopathology and PCR on embryonic material and further characterised
by nucleotide sequence analysis. Two infectious bursal disease virus isolates were also made
from the Klerksdorp flock. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the L1 hexon loop of all the FAdV
isolates indicated homology (99%) with prototype strains P7-A for FAdV-2, as well as for
FAdV-8b.
