Original Scientific Article
An outbreak of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in commercial layers: three-month observation of mortality, virus, and antibody dynamics
Aleksandar Dodovski * ,
Vladimir Savić

Mac Vet Rev 2024; 47 (2): 91 - 102

10.2478/macvetrev-2024-0019

Received: 28 May 2024

Received in revised form: 14 June 2024

Accepted: 17 June 2024

Available Online First: 12 July 2024

Published on: 15 October 2024

Correspondence: Aleksandar Dodovski, adodovski@fvm.ukim.edu.mk
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Abstract

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a WOAH-listed respiratory disease in poultry caused by Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1, known as ILT virus (ILTV). We monitored two unvaccinated commercial layer flocks of 46- and 64-weeks old birds, more than 3 months after the onset of ILT. For this purpose, tracheal swabs, cloacal swabs, and blood samples were collected. Molecular and serology results were compared with the mortality data. The increased mortality in flocks 1 and 2 lasted 9 and 15 days, reaching 13.0% and 11.3%, respectively. We isolated the virus by inoculation on chicken embryo’s chorioallantoic membrane. Tracheal swabs were positive at each sampling point, but cloacal swabs were negative. Based on the molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the ICP4 gene, the ILTV closely matched vaccine strains. In flock 1, seroconversion was evident at the second sampling (day 15). Thereafter, an increase in antibody titer was observed, eventually achieving levels that were nearly identical to those on day 15 and on 109. During the acute period of the outbreak, seroconversion was already visible in flock 2, and a similar pattern was then seen as in flock 1. Three months after the outbreak, the virus DNA was still persistently detected in tracheal swabs.

Keywords: infectious laryngotracheitis, Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1, outbreak dynamics, serology, real-time PCR, ICP4 gene

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Copyright

© 2024 Dodovski A. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declared that they have no potential lict of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Citation Information

Macedonian Veterinary Review. Volume 47, Issue 2, Pages 91-102, e-ISSN 1857-7415, p-ISSN 1409-7621, DOI: 10.2478/macvetrev-2024-0019

The all content of the Macedonian Veterinary Review, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.