Avian metapneumovirus inflicts vital financial losses on the turkey and broiler industries
13 November 2024
3 minute learn
Editor’s be aware: Excerpts from a presentation by Darrell Kapczynski and colleagues, USDA-ARS, through the 2024 annual convention of the American Affiliation of Avian Pathologists.
Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is the causative agent of turkey rhinotracheitis, an acute higher respiratory tract an infection of turkeys, and is related to swollen head syndrome in chickens. The illness is normally accompanied by secondary bacterial infections that may improve morbidity and mortality. aMPV an infection of turkeys was first reported within the late Seventies in South Africa, and viruses had been subsequently remoted in Europe, the US, Asia, in addition to Central and South America.
aMPV belongs to the Metapneumovirus genus throughout the Pneumovirinae
subfamily of the Paramyxoviridae household. It’s a single-strand, nonsegmented, negative-sense RNA virus that accommodates eight genes. At the moment just one serotype of aMPV has been described; nevertheless, nucleotide sequence evaluation has recognized 4 subtypes: A, B, C and D. Till lately solely subtype C had been recognized within the US.
Swab samples had been obtained from turkey hens from North Carolina that had been demonstrating respiratory misery and drops in egg manufacturing. The samples produced a optimistic response by quantitative real-time RT-PCR to aMPV B. Subsequently, a virus was remoted. As well as, testing of area samples from North Carolina demonstrated that the virus may first be detected in September of 2023.
Proximity to European aMPV
Excerpts of a presentation by Sumit Jangra and colleagues, Animal Illness Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory, South Dakota State College, through the 2024 annual convention of the American Affiliation of Avian Pathologists
Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is a extremely contagious virus that inflicts vital financial losses on the turkey and broiler breeder sectors via respiratory and reproductive problems. aMPVs are categorized into 4 subgroups (A, B, C, and D) primarily based on the extent of genetic variations and antigenic variations. Not too long ago, outbreaks of extreme respiratory signs and vital decline in egg manufacturing had been reported in turkey and rooster farms from completely different states within the US.
Tissues and swab samples had been obtained that confirmed the presence of aMPV subtype B. 5 complete genomes had been assembled from turkey samples and one complete genome from rooster samples. Based mostly on complete genome sequence evaluation of those six genomes, subtype B pressure from the latest outbreak is displaying 98.5% nucleotide id with pathogenic VCO3/60616 and 657/4 subtype B sequences detected in turkeys from France and Hungary, respectively.
The entire genomes of subtype B assembled from completely different farms are 100% an identical, indicating that one kind of pressure is circulating in rooster and turkeys. Actual-time RT-PCR equipment detecting subtype A/B was used for screening samples from completely different farms; 119 out of 157 farms examined optimistic, with Ct values starting from 16.5 to 36.7. Each breeders and industrial flocks examined optimistic by subsequent technology sequencing and PCR.
This documented detection of aMPV subtype B within the US exhibited shut phylogenetic proximity to European aMPV subtype B strains. These findings warrant additional investigation into the emergence, potential penalties, and adaptation of this subtype inside US poultry.
