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Many studies have mentioned the advantages of adding wheat germ to chicken diets, but few were interested in studying the effect of the fermentation process on this addition. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of adding fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE) and immunostimulant (IS) to the broiler diet and water, respectively, on growth performance, hematological and blood biochemical parameters, immune status, and carcass characteristics. A total of 180 one-day-old broiler chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly and equally assigned into four treatment groups of 5 replicates (9 chicks/replicate) each. The first group (G1) served as a control group with a basal diet and normal drinking water, while the second (G2) and the third (G3) groups were treated with a basal diet supplemented with 0.1 and 0.2% of FWGE, respectively. The fourth group (G4) was treated with one level of immunostimulant (ORGA IMMU®, 0.2% in drinking water) and served as a positive control. The experiment lasted 35 days. According to the results, adding 0.2% FWGE to the broiler diet (G3) improved (P≤0.05) feed conversion ratio and increased (P≤0.05) live body weight and body weight gain compared to the control group (G1). The G3 also showed improvements (P≤0.05) in red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), and white blood cell (WBC) counts. Blood biochemical parameters, such as total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were positively affected (P≤0.05) by FWGE and immunostimulant treatments. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers for Newcastle disease and avian influenza viruses, phagocytic activity (PA), phagocytic index (PI), and lysozyme activity (LA) were significantly (P≤0.05) improved by FWGE and immunostimulant treatments. Furthermore, carcass traits, such as carcass weight and dressing percentage, were improved (P≤0.05) by adding FWGE and immunostimulant treatments. The inclusion of FWGE in the broiler chicken diet by 0.2% had a considerably positive impact on the birds' growth performance, health, and carcass quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli (E. coli) was isolated from broiler chickens from El-Behera governorate. This study was aimed to detect the incidence of five virulence genes and the antibiotic resistance pattern of isolated E.coli. A total of 66 E. coli isolates were isolated from the liver, heart, kidney, and oviduct from broilers suffered from perihepatitis, pericarditis, omphalitis, salpingitis. The isolates were tested for pathogenicity using 5% sheep blood agar and showed 80.3% of the isolates gave alpha hemolysis and 19.7% give beta hemolysis. The isolates were examined for their sensitivity to ten antibiotics. They showed high sensitivity to ciprofloxacin with a percentage of 53.03%, while Ampicillin and Amoxicillin show a higher resistance with a percentage of 59.09% and 56.06%, respectively. On the other hand, the isolates were moderately sensitive to Nitrofurantoin, Neomycin, Tetracycline, Gentamycin, Cephalexin, Kanamycin and Chloramphenicol with percentage 87.87%, 83.33%, 83.33%, 74.25%, 72.72%, 59.09%, and 57.57%, respectively. PCR was performed using PhoA gene for the detection of E. coli that was detected in 31.81% of isolates. PCR also used for detection of five virulence genes PapC, IutA, FimH, Iss, fyuA gene, which were detected in 42.85%, 9.53%, 47.6%, 57.14%, and 33.33%, respectively. It could be concluded that the most effective antibiotic was Ciprofloxacin and avoid using ampicillin and amoxicillin because of the high resistance of bacteria against those antibiotics. The most prevalent gene was Iss which responsible for serum resistance of bacteria followed by FimH, PapC gene which were responsible for adhesion of bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, fowl adenovirus (FAdV) was detected and characterized from broiler chicken flocks with inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in Northern Egypt during the period from March 2017 till March 2018. Grossly, the examined flocks showed hydropericardium and enlarged friable livers with ecchymotic hemorrhages. Histopathologically, liver tissues revealed intranuclear inclusion bodies in hepatocytes and hepatitis. Molecular detection by PCR assay using primer specific for the L1 loop region of hexon gene was conducted, the PCR products were sequenced for typing of FAdV. Seventeen out of 37 flocks tested were positive. Sequence analysis revealed that the 17 FAdVs were identical, suggesting a common ancestor for the FAdVs circulating in northern Egypt during the period of study. Phylogenetically, they clustered with fowl adenoviruses D species (FAdV-2 and FAdV-11). Interestingly, mortalities observed in the 17 flocks infected with FAdVs varied from 0.4% to 20%. To our knowledge, this is the first report of FAdV-D from broiler chicken in Egypt. Further studies are needed to examine different poultry species and other geographic areas in Egypt. Moreover, studies on the pathogenicity and potential preventive measures against FAdV infection on poultry farms are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli infections are of significant concern to the poultry industry. It is one of the most important and frequently encountered bacterial avian pathogens causing a wide variety of disease syndromes in birds, inducing up to 30% mortality. In this study, samples from the liver, heart blood, lung, air sacs, yolk sac and joints from diseased and freshly dead chickens from broiler and layer flocks were collected for the isolation and serotyping of E. coli. Nine E. coli serotypes were isolated and identified from 8 broilers and 1 layer flocks and they were O8 (3 strains), O27 (2 strains) and the other 4 isolates were O29, O115, O148 and O169, respectively. The in-vitro antibiotic sensitivity testing for these E. coli isolates revealed that all isolates were highly sensitive to cefotaxime, mostly higher sensitivity to amoxicillin + clavulanic acid and intermediate sensitivity to doxycycline, and spiramycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) and Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) are bacterial causes of respiratory diseases in chickens. The objective of this work was to investigate the possible interaction between ORT and MG in respiratory problem of broiler chickens. The experimental study confirmed that ORT infection alone could induced respiratory signs as (rales, nasal discharge), post mortem lesions (unilateral and bilateral pneumonia) and histopathological changes in tracheas, lungs and air sacs. Moreover, co-infection of ORT with MG induced severe respiratory signs like pneumonia, edema and severe inflammatory cell infilteration in lungs and air sacs than that observed in chickens infected with ORT or MG alone. ORT and MG were successfully re-isolated by PCR from tracheal swabs at 3, 7 and 14 days post infection. The results showed the synergistic effect of mixed infection of ORT and MG in broiler chickens regarding clinical signs, PM lesions, mortality rate, body weight, reisolation and histopathological examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallibacterium anatis and Mycoplasma gallisepticum are bacterial pathogens affecting the respiratory tract of broiler chickens. Tracking the mixed experimental infection effect with G. anatis and M. gallisepticum in broiler chickens regarding clinical signs, performance, PM and histopathological lesions was the aim of this work. Birds inoculated with G. anatis (G2) or M. gallisepticum (G4) alone showed less severe clinical signs and gross pathological lesions in the respiratory tract. While, co-infection with G. anatis and M. gallisepticum (G3) exaggerated the clinical signs like rales, sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing, lacrimation and open mouth breathing and also gross and microscopical lesions which appeared as severe conjunctivitis with hemorrhagic congestive tracheitis, pneumonia and hyperplasia of the epithelium lining of trachea as compared to other groups which were infected with single pathogen or control negative group (G1). In conclusion, G. anatis produce less severe clinical signs and lesions regarding respiratory system than coinfection with M. gallisepticum which may be a most important factor enhancing the pathogenicity of G. anatis under field conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of the commercially available vaccines was evaluated against two Egyptian variant IBV isolates that was found to be related to IS/885 variant II strain by 86% and 84% respectively in commercial broiler chickens. The protection assessment was detected by clinical signs, gross lesions, detection of viral shedding in tracheal and cloacal swabs, estimation of kidney function tests (Creatinine and Uric acid), detection of specific IBV antibody titer and histopathological examination. No significant protection could be provided against both challenging viruses using the classical live H120, Ma5 vaccines at day 1 and 14 of age respectively. Also no significant protection could be provided using 2 different inactivated vaccines at day 5 of age. The results indicated that the used vaccine strains and the challenging IBV field isolates are not the same protecteotype, therefore, change in the program of field vaccination is required to obtain a relative improvement of protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marek’s disease is a lymphoproliferative disease causing a serious threat in poultry production. Field strains of Marek’s disease virus (MDVs) are continuously re-emerging, causing great economical losses to the poultry industry worldwide in spite of the intensive vaccination and restrictive management policy used. Histopathological and molecular characterizations of MDVs are essential for monitoring the changes of viruses and evaluating the effectiveness of existing vaccines. During 2016, 190 visceral tumour tissues representing 30 vaccinated chicken flocks from the Gifu prefecture, Japan, were analysed. A pathological examination revealed the presence of lymphoproliferative lesions in the visceral organs. Polymerase chain reaction screening of tissue specimens using specific primers for avian leucosis virus, reticuloendotheliosis virus, and MDV was positive only for MDV. The polymerase chain reaction products of meq, pp38, virus-induced IL-8 homology, and glycoprotein MDV genes were sequenced and used for homology, phylogenetic, and similarity level analysis with the published reference of MDVs in the database. The results revealed high similarity between the field isolates, vv and vv+ strains of MDV from the USA and China. Several point mutations in the nucleotide sequence of the field isolates and their deduced amino acid sequences were detected in those genes. The present molecular analyses indicated that nucleotide and amino acid changes could be valuable criteria for differentiation and determination of the pathogenicity and oncogenicity of MDVs according to the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory pathotyping in vivo studies. Furthermore, the results suggest that development of a new vaccine must be considered to overcome this devastating avian oncogenic viral disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Avian influenza virus H9N2 is a panzootic pathogen that affects poultry causing mild to moderate respiratory distress but has been associated with high morbidity and considerable mortality. In this study, one hundred and twenty cloacal and tracheal swabs and organs (trachea, lung and spleen) were collected from broiler chicken flocks in 8 Egyptian governorates from summer 2014 to spring 2015. Results of RT-PCR revealed that 36 flocks were positive out of 120 flocks for H9N2 (30%) of which 24 infected with H9 only (66.7%) and 12 co-infected with H5N1 (19.4), NDV (11.1%) or IBV (8.3%). Seasonal distribution of positive flocks was as follow: 0.8% in summer of 2014, 5.8% in autumn of 2014, 19.2% in winter of 2014 and 4.1% in spring of 2015. Sequencing of HA gene and phylogenetic analysis of 7 selected H9N2 isolates representative of different governorates indicated that all isolates belong to G1-like lineage and are closely related to other Middle East H9N2 isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three commercial products of herbal extracts (Amphiflu-Ex®, Fyto-immune Plus® and Viu-Vet®) were tested for antiviral activity against two Egyptian highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 isolates (isolated form backyard poultry) and upon sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, they belonged to clade 2.2.1.2., The antiviral assay for the products was done by using chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cell culture through cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assay in two different layouts to elucidate post-exposure and pre-exposure antiviral activity of the products. Amphiflu- Ex® at conc. 50 μl/ml showed significant virucidal activity (100% inhibition) in post-exposure assay for both viral isolates which was further confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR method that showed 100% reduction in virus titers for both isolates and further investigation was done on conc. 10 and 20 μl/ml, where the virus titers were decreased by 1-1.27 and 2.72-2.8 logs (Log 10 virus titers) respectively. The maximum non-toxic concentration (MNTC) for the three products which estimated by cytotoxicity assay was 50 μl/ml and TCID50 used for both isolates was 106 copy/100 μl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the adverse effects of an interaction between low dietary aflatoxins and H9N2 infection in broiler chickens. They were infected with H9N2 AI virus at the 23 days of age at dose of 106 EID50/100 ul/bird and /or fed on diet containing 200ppb aflatoxin with a group kept as a non-treated noninfected negative control. Aflatoxins treated groups exhibit significant lower body weight gain (average530g) than the control group (average 1850g). The clinical signs of H9N2 were more pronounced in the group which received aflatoxin and infected with H9N2 than the group infected with H9N2 alone. Also there was significant increase in serum (AST and ALT) liver enzymes in chickens in this group. Histopathological examination regarding aflatoxins treated groups there was hepatomegaly, hydropic degeneration, hepatocytic vacuolation and necrosis in liver with nephrosis and ureates deposition in kidney. The lesions in trachea and lung in the H9N2 infected groups were more sever in the group receive aflatoxins and infected with H9N2 virus than group infected with H9N2 alone. Thus the aflatoxins severely affect the performance traits in broiler and when combined with H9N2 virus increase the mortalities from 0 in nonaflatoxicated groups to 20% in aflatoxicated groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian nephritis virus is a new circulating virus in Europe, Australia, and Japan, this virus lead to growth retardation of young chickens by causing interstitial nephritis. Investigation was done in 5 Egyptian governorates (North Sinai, El-Minoufiya, El- Gharbia and El-Behera and Kafr-Elsheikh) on 28 broiler chicken flocks and all the flocks were negative for Avian nephritis virus. In addition, we continued the detection of IBV in the same 28 broiler chicken flocks, resulting that 11 flocks out of 28 flocks, were positive for IBV. Regarding spike glycoprotein (S1) gene, sequencing was done to 5 isolates, which showed that they belonged to Eg/12120s/2012 spike glycoprotein (SP1) gene variant 2. Protectotyping was done using 2 isolates, and 3 types of IB live attenuated vaccines (H120, Ma5, IB primer). In conclusion, this study recorded the extensive circulation of variant 2 IBV in Egyptian broiler chickens. Regarding the pathogenicity of the tested variant and cross protection with available live IB vaccines, it was clear that there no complete cross protection against IBV isolates although of using live attenuated IB vaccines so there a need for further studies to define a more effective program for IB control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) H5N1 has been isolated from many diverse species in Egypt. Here, we characterized the pathogenesis of a HPAI H5N1 isolated from naturally infected pigeons in Japanese quails. Our results showed that the pigeon virus was very pathogenic to quails; killing them within two days of intranasal inoculation. Further, phylogenetic analysis showed that the pigeon derived virus and the quail-derived viruses were close to viruses circulating in china and they segregated far from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of G. anatis infection in commercial broiler and layer chickens in El-behira and Alexandria governorates, Egypt. A total of 64 chicken flocks (53 broiler, 6 layer and 5 breeder flocks) suffering from rales, sneezing and decreased egg production (in layer and breeder flocks) were examined by collecting swabs from trachea, oviduct and ovarian tissues. The molecular identification for the suspected samples, using PCR primers targeted the 16S rRNA (1133fgal) and 23S rRNA (114r) genes revealed 23.43% (15/64) positive isolates of G. anatis. The invitro antibiotic sensitivity testing was done and revealed that almost all isolates were sensitive to cefotaxime, norfloxacin, doxycycline and florfenicol. According to the clinical signs, PM lesions and histopathological lesions in commercial broiler chickens infected experimentally there was a significant differences in the pathogenicity in commercial broiler chickens among the 10 isolates used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthritis in broiler chickens is one of economic problems causing losses in poultry industry. Hundred samples (60 samples for Mycoplasma synoviae isolation and 40 samples for isolation other bacteria) from chicken with arthritis symptoms, were collected from different broiler chickens farms. The samples were cultivated on PPIO media for isolation of Mycoplasma synoviae and different media( MaCconky , EMB, X.L.D and salt Mannitol media) for isolation of other bacteria and biochemically identified. The results revealed that out of 40 samples 28(70%) were positive for E. coli isolation,10 (25%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus isolation,2(5%) were positive for Salmonella Enterica isolation. Out of 6osamples 6(10%) were positive for Mycoplasma synoviae isolation. Amplification of vlhA gene of Mycoplasma synoviae showed that out of 6 isolate 3 (50%) were positive for the gene . Six seogroups of E. coli isolates examined serologically and put into six group, one each group (O128, O125, O146,O27,O114 and O158).The result of multiplex PCR for E.coli virulence genes( ibeA and iss ) showed that iss were detected in all serogroups .While ibeA virulence gene was detected in serotypes O125 and O146 only .The result of PCR for amplification of virulance genes of S.aureus(CNA,clfA)reveled that out of 8 isolate of S.aureus,3(37.5%) were positive for clfA. Out of 3 positive S.aureus for clfA,3(100%) were positive for CNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]