Clinico-pathological and Immunological Changes in Chickens Infected with Chicken Anemia Virus

Chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) is an immunosuppressive viral disease causing high economic losses in poultry industry. In this study, 20 farms were represented for a prevalence study of the disease in Ismailia governorate, Egypt.ON532690.1 and ON532691.1 Isolates from bone marrow, thymus loops, liver, and spleen of broiler farms exhibiting some clinical and postmortem signs were used for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. RT-PCR was used to amplify a 418bp product of the CIAV VP1 gene. Three farms out of 20 (15%) were positive. Phylogenetic tree of partial vp1 amino acids were classified into three groups according to change in H/22/N-Q amino acid indicated that there are three CIAV different strains circulating in Egypt. Hematological investigation revealed significant decrease in RBCs count, hemoglobin concentration, and packed cell volume declared normocytic normochromic anemia.The immunological studies revealed a significant decrease in serum lysozyme, nitric oxide (NO), antioxidants (CAT and GSH), total protein,and in the majority of serum protein fractions in infected chickens (G2) compared to apparently healthy (G1) while there were marked increase in G2 than G1 in A: Gratio. This result guides to review the vaccination programs against CIAV in Egypt forimproving the immune response against the infection.

Isolation and genetic diversity of fowlpox virus circulating in chicken flocks in Egypt

FowlPox virus (FPV) was detected in eight chickens suffering from a diphtheritic lesion on the oropharynx and trachea with nodular skin lesions around the unfeathered parts in two Egyptian governorates (El-Sharkia and Ismailia governorates) during summer 2023. A variety of serological and molecular methods were performed for identification and characterization of the virus. on specific-pathogen free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs via chorio-allantoic membranes (CAM), the distinguishing focal pock lesions were detected on CAM. Concerning electron microscopy, FPV appeared as enveloped quadrangular brick shaped Avipoxvirions. The neutralizing antibodies level against FPV were detected in all eight samples. Serum neutralization test showed a neutralization index of ≥ 1.6 in all serum samples, meanwhile ELISA test displayed an S/P ratio of ≥ 1.5 in the affected chickens. Notably, two positive FPV samples were sequenced then submitted to the GenBank (Sharquia-1 and Ismilia-2 with accession numbers; OR920788-OR920789). The phylogenetic tree construction based on the fpv167- (P4b) gene of FPV revealed high nucleotide identity with Elsharqyia_FWPV1, Elsharqyia_FWPV2 and Fowlpox-AN5, FWPVN, FWPVD (Egyptian isolates) with nucleotide identity percentage 100%, 99%, 100%, 99%,99%; respectively. Likewise, FPV isolates were of low homology with VSVRI-Vac (vaccinal strain) with 88% similarity. In context, the local recent our strains can be applied in vaccine production for appropriate vaccination programs in Egypt