Ascites syndrome (AS) is a deadly condition in fast-growing chickens, preceded by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (ATR1) plays a role. We investigated whether allicin (ALLI), a garlic derivative, could (a) interact with broiler ATR1, (b) affect ascites-related traits [haematocrit content (Hct%), blood oxygen saturation (SaO), and the right-to-total ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV)], (c) modify ATR1 expression in the lung, heart, and liver, alongside ascites mortality and growth performance in Ross 308 broilers raised at high altitude and under cold temperatures promoting PAH/AS. Three groups ( = 70 each) were studied: 0-ALLI (untreated), 1-ALLI (allicin 1 mg/kg bodyweight/daily at 14-27 days of age by oral-oesophageal route), and 2.5-ALLI. After 3-6 weeks, Hct%, SaO, RV:TV ratios, and ATR1 expression in the lung, heart, and liver, were evaluated. Weekly productive performance and AS mortality were recorded. Molecular dockings and dynamic simulations predicted that ALLI might inhibit broiler ATR1 in a transitory manner. At 42 days of age, birds in the 2.5-ALLI group exhibited lower Hct% and lower RV:TV values, while ALLI marginally enhanced SaO. ATR1 expression in the 1-ALLI and 2.5-ALLI groups was higher (i.e. restored) in the lungs and heart, respectively, but not in the liver compared with the untreated group. Productive performance remained unaffected by ALLI, and 2.5-ALLI provided a protection of 4.3% against ascites mortality. In conclusion, 2.5-ALLI mitigated PAH/AS traits in the lungs and heart without compromising broiler productive performance. Further studies adjusting ALLI doses and combinations are warranted. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSBroilers bred at >2000 m OSL and <20°C were treated with 1 or 2.5 mg allicin .Allicin at 2.5 mg decreased haematocrit and right ventricular hypertrophy.Allicin treatments restored ATR1 expression in the heart and lungs.Productive performance of broilers was not affected by allicin treatments.Allicin is a promising candidate to enhance the quality of poultry production.

It was previously reported that utilization of tetrathionate and 1,2-propanediol by spp. through the metabolic pathways encoded by and operons are related to overgrowth and out-competing microbiota in an anaerobic environment. However, recent knowledge demonstrated which strains in the absence of and genes provoke both higher intestinal colonization and spreading bacteria on faeces in relation to their respective wild-type strain, and generate more prominent inflammation as well. This study evaluated the immune response of different lineages of chicks infected by Typhimurium (STM) and Enteritidis (SE) with and gene deletions. Our work was separated into two experiments, one for each strain, utilizing 108 chicks to collect spleen and caecal tonsils for measuring immune response through RT-qPCR. From the immune response analysis, Enteritidis mutant and wild-type strains elicited upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines on the first-day post-infection, the opposite occurred when compared to Typhimurium strains (mutant and wild-type). However, the deletions did not impair the immune response produced by mutant strains related to the respective wild-type in the caecal tonsil and spleen, suggesting that these metabolic pathways are not essential for colonization success. In conclusion, SE and STM, in the absence of and genes, provoke an immune response with the same intensity as respective wild-type strains.

Wild birds sampled in Italy tested for aMPV detection and characterization.aMPV-B found for the first time in a wintering Northern shoveler.Close phylogenetic relationship with aMPV-B strains circulating in Italian poultry.

The cost of coccidiosis in chickens fluctuates considerably, peaking in 2022.Three new species can infect chickens and escape current vaccines. infection exerts wide-ranging effects on enteric microbiota.

In the last decade, the emergence of variant strains of avian orthoreovirus (ARV) has caused an enormous economic impact on the poultry industry across China and other countries. This study aimed to evaluate the molecular evolution of the ARV lineages detected in Chinese commercial broiler farms. Firstly, ARV isolation and identification of commercial broiler arthritis cases from different provinces in China from 2016 to 2021 were conducted. A total of 51 pure ARV isolates were obtained. Sequencing results showed that there were five genotypes of the strains isolated in this study, of which genotype 1 ARV predominated, accounting for 56.9% (29/51). The whole gene sequences of 19 ARV representative isolates were successfully obtained. The genetic evolution analysis of 10 genome segments of 19 ARV isolates showed that the σC-encoding gene had evolved into six different lineages, while the other genome segments only differentiated into two to four different lineages. The results of recombination analysis showed that recombination events were present in the L3, M1 and S1 genome segments. Analysis of the variation of the key factor σC protein showed that the nucleotide and amino acid homologies of the σC were low among the different genotypes. Three-dimensional structural visualization analysis showed that all the structural changes of σC protein were concentrated in the spherical domain at the C-terminal, which is associated with host receptor binding.

Pullorum (. Pullorum) and Gallinarum (. Gallinarum) are the biovars of serovar Gallinarum that are responsible for pullorum disease and fowl typhoid, respectively, in poultry. Traditional serological methods fail to quickly differentiate between these biovars due to their identical O antigenic factors (O9 and O12). Although single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based methods have been used to distinguish between the biovars, they often lack the required accuracy and effectiveness. In this study, we developed a PCR high resolution melt (PCR-HRM) assay, which targeted a SNP at position 665 of the gene, for rapid differentiation between . Pullorum and . Gallinarum. Our method showed 100% specificity and was able to detect as little as 0.033 pg of . Pullorum DNA and 0.027 pg of . Gallinarum DNA. The PCR-HRM results for 547 clinical isolates were in complete agreement with traditional serological methods. This PCR-HRM assay significantly reduced identification time and provided high throughput, efficient testing. This makes it a practical and reliable tool for accurate differentiation between . Pullorum and . Gallinarum in clinical settings.

UhpAB increases the pathogenicity of APEC.UhpAB activates the expression of virulence genes , , , and .UhpAB promotes biofilm formation and enhances stress tolerance.UhpAB contributes to APEC evading attack by the host immune system.

Goose astrovirus (GoAstV) has emerged as a significant pathogen affecting the goose industry in China, with GoAstV-2 becoming the dominant genotype since 2017. This study explores the genetic and structural factors underlying the prevalence of GoAstV-2, focusing on codon usage bias, spike protein variability, and structural stability. Phylogenetic and effective population size analyses revealed that GoAstV-2 experienced rapid expansion between 2017 and 2018, followed by population stabilization. Codon usage analysis indicated that GoAstV-2 exhibited a weaker codon usage bias compared to GoAstV-1, suggesting greater flexibility in synonymous codon usage and potentially enhanced adaptability across host environments. Additionally, GoAstV-2's lower codon adaptation index values point to a divergence from the host's optimal codon usage, which may reduce competition with host tRNA pools and facilitate viral replication. The spike protein of GoAstV-2 demonstrated significantly lower variability than GoAstV-1, as shown by Shannon entropy analysis, indicating greater structural stability. This stability may reduce the need for frequent mutations, allowing GoAstV-2 to persist in host populations without undergoing constant evolution. The lower antigenic variability likely decreases immune-driven selective pressure, contributing to the viral sustained transmission and long-term persistence. These findings provide new insights into the evolutionary advantages of GoAstV-2 and its epidemiological success, which could inform future control strategies aimed at mitigating its impact on poultry populations.

Typical lesions can be reproduced in SPF broilers after intravenous, aerosol and oral inoculations.The respiratory route is potentially an infection route for pathogenic bacteria.Co-infections tested in this study or dexamethasone do not exacerbate the proportion of lesions.M.s. in combination with IBV or NDV vaccines exacerbates the proportion of positive reisolations.Immunosuppression induced by early CAV infection increases the proportion of positive reisolations.

Type O8 is the most prevalent serotype of APEC isolated from Wenchang chicken embryos (Hainan, China).The isolates were more than 90% resistant to erythromycin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, and tetracycline.19.2% of the isolates were multi-resistant to more than 14 antibiotics.APEC of the same serotype isolated from Hainan Wenchang embryos have close relationships in the evolutionary tree of the core genome.

Protection against (EPS) challenge seems to be genotype-serotype-specific.Genotype B (O78:H4) gave (almost) full protection against genotypes B, F and H (all O78:H4).Genotype D (O11:H12) incited partial protection.Genotypes A (O1:H7) and C (O2:H1) were not protective.

serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum is a pathogenic bacterium that causes fowl typhoid (FT), affecting chicken flocks worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the emergence, dissemination and genomic profile of Gallinarum lineages from Brazil. Twelve whole-genomes sequences (WGS) of different . Gallinarum strains isolated from Brazilian poultry farms (2014 to 2018) were obtained and used to construct a dataset with other 31 previously published data (five more from Brazil). Brazilian strains phylogenetic diversity, temporal evolution and antimicrobial resistance/virulence genomic profile were evaluated. Sixteen (94.1%) Brazilian strains were from sequence type ST78 and one (5.9%) was from ST331. All Gallinarum strains clustered into five different clades/lineages (I to V), all circulating in South America and four (I, II, III, IV) in Brazil. The time of most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of all strains was many centuries ago, but the lineages detected in South America (II and V) had tMRCA in recent decades. IncFIC(FII), IncFII(S) and ColRNAI were plasmid replicons frequently found in the lineages from Brazil, but antimicrobial resistance genes were scarce. Only two resistance genes ( and ) were detected in most strains, while other two ( and ) were present in some isolates. It was also observed important differences in the virulence genomic profile of the different lineages, highlighting lineage IV, which does not carry the very important pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1) genes cluster. In summary, this study reveals the emergence and dissemination of four different lineages of Gallinarum in Brazil.

Hierarchical molecular testing is recommended for the detection of avian .Key molecular tests for surveillance were conventional PCR and quantitative PCR.The most used genomic target to detect in birds was the gene.

Avian reovirus-infected hens shed virus heavily at 2-3 days post-inoculation.Shedding became minimal after 5-7 days post-inoculation.ARV variants offered 100% protection in hens upon subsequent infections.Infected hens maintained normal egg production with no observable clinical signs.

The haemolysin co-regulatory protein (Hcp) plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of avian pathogenic (APEC) as an effector protein of the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to the host. Meanwhile, mitochondria in the host are the target of effector proteins of various secretion systems. Here, we explored the effects of APEC effector Hcp2b on the mitochondria of DF-1 cells and found that Hcp2b results in damage in mitochondria. Next, 68 target proteins in DF-1 cell lysates were identified that interacted with Hcp2b by streptavidin-biotin pull-down assay combined with LC-MS/MS, among which ADP/ATP transporter carrier (SLC25A4) is a mitochondria-associated protein; protein docking analysis showed that Hcp2b binds well to SLC25A4. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Hcp2b contributes to mitochondrial damage in DF-1 cells through interaction with the SLC25A4.

The efficacy of two commercially available vaccines administered singly or in combination was evaluated in two trials; in both trials, specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were vaccinated with the live attenuated F-strain vaccine at 5 weeks of age (WOA), an inactivated bacterin at 9 and 13 WOA, or both vaccines. In the first trial, groups of vaccinated birds, along with controls, were challenged via aerosol with virulent R-strain at 22 and 41 weeks of age. All of the vaccine programs evaluated showed a statistically significant reduction in colonization with the challenge strain following challenge at either timepoint. However, only the programs including the live vaccine also showed significant protection from respiratory lesions and ovarian regression; and although there were numerical differences indicating benefits of a combined (live + bacterin) program, the addition of bacterins did not enhance (or reduce) the efficacy of the F-strain vaccine in a statistically significant manner ( ≤ 0.05). In the second trial, groups of vaccinated birds, along with controls, were challenged via aerosol with different doses of virulent R-strain at 17 weeks of age. Both vaccination programs in this trial (live only and live + bacterin) resulted in significant protection against challenge strain colonization and air sac lesions ( ≤ 0.05); In addition, the live + bacterin program showed significantly improved results with respect to colonization with the challenge strain as well as protection from air sac lesions compared to the live vaccine alone ( ≤ 0.05).

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is a species of the genus that can cause neoplasia, immunosuppression, and runting-stunting syndrome. To show the clinical relevance of REV is complicated, and requires the demonstration of the virus, REV antibodies, the presence of typical gross and microscopic lesions, and the exclusion of other oncogenic agents in the case of the presence of tumours. Under field conditions, the first tests to be used might be a commercially available REV antibody ELISA or an RT-PCR to detect the REV genome. In this short paper, we present the experiences with two commercially available ELISAs and RT-PCR that we have gained from a REV outbreak on a large multi-age layer farm and many follow-up tests on samples from control farms with and without a known history of REV and fowlpox virus (FPV). In the field, some of the FPV field strains contain large inserts of the REV genome that might interfere with REV testing. The results of the ELISAs on sera from REV- and FPV- unsuspected flocks suggested that the cut-offs of both ELISAs were somewhat low resulting in a lower specificity. However, cut-offs of 2000 and 3050 for the IDEXX and BioChek ELISAs, respectively, gave an agreement of 100%, suggesting that these cut-offs might be advisable to use. The use of the combination of RT-PCR for REV and PCR for FPV proved to be very useful in separating REV infections from FPV infections. The results of our extended field study can help to interpret REV testing results.

The Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) was first reported in China in 2010 and has since caused substantial economic losses in the poultry breeding industry. In the autumn of 2022, an outbreak of an infectious disease resembling DTMUV was reported in Guangdong Province, China, which caused significantly high mortality in goose embryos, and decreased egg production. This study identified one strain of the new subgenotype 3 of DTMUV, designated as DTMUV GDZQ2022, responsible for these effects. Comprehensive genomic sequencing of this strain was conducted to analyse its genetic variations. Additionally, the isolated and purified virus was inoculated into goose embryos and goslings to assess its pathogenicity. The GDZQ2022 genome displayed over 88% nucleotide homology with other DTMUV strains from China and Southeast Asia. Phylogenetic analysis of the E gene classified GDZQ2022 within the subgenotype 3 of DTMUV. Pathogenicity experiments on goose embryos and goslings showed that the GDZQ2022 strain induced typical clinical signs of DTMUV, particularly severe neurological manifestations. Although GDZQ2022 exhibited high virulence in goose embryos, its virulence in goslings was minimal, resulting in a low mortality rate. Pathological examinations detected significant histological lesions in the brains, livers, and spleens of the infected goslings. In conclusion, this study presents the first evidence of a novel DTMUV strain proliferating among young geese in China, underscoring the genetic diversity of DTMUV and contributing to our understanding of the pathogenicity of the subgenotype 3 Tembusu virus in goose embryos and goslings.

(Mg) and (Ms) are regarded as the most important avian mycoplasma species for today's chicken and turkey farming industry from clinical and economical perspectives. Control strategies for Mg and Ms have become more efficient due to investments in mycoplasma research over the last 70 years. These investments have contributed to the further implementation of serological and molecular testing, the development of vaccines, and the improvement of antimicrobial treatment strategies. However, the increasing spotlight on welfare, the pressure on prudent use of antimicrobials, and the expected global increase in poultry production, are going to have an impact on the future control of avian mycoplasmas in commercial poultry. In this paper a group of avian mycoplasma experts discuss the future challenges in mycoplasma control considering the background of these expected changes and the relevance for future avian mycoplasma research.

Copper (Cu) is a necessary micro-element and plays important roles in many biochemical processes. However, excessive Cu intake can lead to multi-organ toxicity, especially in the spleen. To gain further insights into the specific mechanisms of splenic toxicity associated with Cu-induced metabolic disorders, 192 one-day-old chickens were selected and randomly divided into four groups for this study. The broilers were fed with diets containing Cu at final concentrations of 11, 110, 220 and 330 mg/kg for 49 days. The results showed that high dietary Cu caused nuclear shrinkage and mitochondrial vacuolization in the spleen and induced splenic injury through regulating the glutathione metabolism, pentose and gluconate interconversion, tryptophan metabolism and glycerophosphatidylcholine metabolism pathways. Moreover, excess Cu could disorder the mitochondrial dynamics via up-regulating the levels of Drp1, Parkin PINK1, and Dynein, and down-regulating the levels of Mfn1, Mfn2 and OPA1. Cu treatment increased the levels of LC3A, LC3B, mTOR, Beclin1, and ATG5 and decreased the p62 level to promote autophagy of splenocytes. Meanwhile, a high dose of Cu promoted splenocyte apoptosis by increasing the levels of p53, BAK-1, Bax, Cyt C and Caspase-3 and decreasing the level of Bcl-2. These results demonstrated that high dietary Cu could cause autophagy and apoptosis via inducing metabolic disturbances and disordering mitochondrial dynamics in the spleen of broiler chicken.

The H2N2 avian influenza viruses (AIV) have been reported in the Northeast United States of America (USA) live bird market (LBM) system since 2014. In this study, we investigated the genetic evolution and characterized molecular markers of the recent H2N2 AIVs in LBMs in the Northeast USA. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the LBM H2N2 lineage has evolved into three distinct subgroups (groups A.1, A.2, and A.3). The group A.1 viruses and some transient reassortants evolved through several independent reassortment events between the LBM H2N2 lineage and North American wild bird-origin AIVs. Separately, a group of phylogenetically distinct novel H2N2 viruses (group B) identified in LBMs completely originated from wild birds, independent from the previous LBM H2N2 lineage that has persisted since 2014. While no molecular evidence of mammalian adaptation was found, the novel H2N2 viruses in the LBM system underscore the importance of updated risk assessments for potential human transmission.