Clinical Laboratory Outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome in Broiler Chicken in Kathmandu Valley Nepal
Clinical Laboratory Outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome in Broiler Chicken in Kathmandu Valley Nepal
1: Dr.Kedar Karki Senior Veterinary Officer
Central Veterinary Laboratory in Kathmandu Tripureshwor, Nepal
2: Dr Esmeraldo M. Cabana, Veterinary Pathologist,
Animal Well being Laboratories, Diagnostic Services Branch Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania, Australia,
ABSTRACT:
The incidence of sudden death of broiler birds above 40 days suddenly increased in the month of August 2008 in Kathmandu valley. Birds that were presented for post-mortem examination in Central Veterinary Laboratory Tripureshwor Kathmandu were typically found dead on their backs with wings out-stretched. Incidence rate was recorded between 1.5 to 2.5% of the flock. The mean mortality due to sudden death syndrome was 1.3 – 9.6% and mortality generally occurs right after 6 week of age. There are no outstanding gross lesions on post mortem examinations, except for muscle oedema, pulmonary, renal and liver congestion, and congestive spleenomegally.
Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Candida spp, E.coli, Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. had been the usual organisms isolated from culture samples of liver, lung, spleen and proventriculus. Reduction of mortality was achieved by feed restriction, supplementation of glucose containing electrolyte, liquid toxin binder, Immunomodulater, acidifier and antibiotic therapy. The condition appears to be related to fast growth rate. A practical approach appears to use diets with five-7% reduction in nutrient density. The provision of more space and supportive treatment with anti-stress medicine may possibly also be advantageous.
Key word:
Sudden death syndrome, broiler birds, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Background of outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome in Kathmandu Valley.
In the course of the first week of August 2008 there sudden boost in mortality of broilers above 6 week age (Table 1). There are no premonitory signs. Just before death, birds appear regular and it is frequent to observe the birds feeding, drinking or walking normally. Then suddenly, affected birds exhibit clinical signs such as extending their neck, squawk and start wing beating as nicely as leg extension prior to falling back on their back and die suddenly.
Table: 1. Epidemiology of Affected flock with sudden Death Syndrome in Month of August 2008:
Duration
no. of farm
Population at risk
Morbidity
(%)
Mortality
(%)
No. of samples examined
Initial week
22
16620
4250 (25.57%)
369
(2.22%)
44
Second week
14
15450
1235
(7.99%)
232
(1.50%)
28
Third week
20
10260
848
(8.26%)
157
(1.53%)
40
Fourth week
30
15700
2380
(15.16%)
149
(.94%)
60
Total
86
58030
8713
(15.01%)
907
(1.56%)
172
Postmortem finding of SDS birds:
Postmortem examination of birds that died of sudden death syndrome revealed showed no outstanding gross pathology. All birds were nicely fleshed, with muscle edema and general pulmonary congestion and edema. Feed was present along the whole digestive tract and the gall bladders of birds are generally empty. The liver and kidneys were normally slightly congested and have patchy sub capsular hemorrhage. Usually, the proventriculus contains a milky fluid, and intact food particles are present in gizzard. Congestive spleenomegally was observed in virtually all birds. All these post mortem observations conform to the descriptions of the syndrome produced by Ononiwu et. al. (1979).
Laboratory Finding of Mycobiota and Micro biota of Postmortem Tissue samples:
A total 86 tissue samples of lung, liver, spleen, Proventriculus and gizzard, were collected throughout postmortem examination and had been subjected for both bacterial and mycological culture. Outcomes of microbiological examination done are given in Table 2.
Table: 2.
No. of samples
Bacterial isolated
Fungi isolated
Positive no
negative no
86
E.coli,
Streptococcus,
Staphylococcus
59
27
86
Aspergillus,
Penicillium,
Candida
58
28
172
117
55
Treatment and Preventive measure given to the rest of birds in flock:
All birds remaining in flocks had been subjected to restricted feed up to 8-10%, and feed to twice every day only. Supplementation with glucose containing electrolyte, liquid toxin binders, Immunomodulater, and easy broad-spectrum antibiotics had been provided in water. Vitamin B complex supplementation was totally withdrawn. All birds remaining in all affected farms responded nicely to the above management and there were marked improvement in the overall condition of the flock.
Result and Discussion.
Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is an acute heart failure illness that affects mainly male fast growing chickens that appear to be in very good condition. Despite the fact that a typical condition in rapidly growing birds, the pathogenesis remains unclear (Ononiwu et. al. 1979). Cardiac arrhythmias are involved in the pathogenesis of SDS with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) being the most typical observation representing premature ventricular contractions and fibrillation (Olkowski and Classen, 1997 1998). It has been reported that broilers fed with high vitamin D3 diet plan above the recommended levels in an attempt to stop commonly occurring leg troubles were 2.five fold more most likely to succumb to acute heart failure and die of SDS (Nain et. Al. 2007). SDS was also experimentally induced by feeding diets containing the mycotoxin moniliformin that resulted to cardiac injury with subsequent alterations in cardiac electrical conductance (Reams et al, 1997) suggesting the achievable role of chronic mycotoxicosis to the causation of SDS. Other implicated causes of SDS include continuous artificial lighting (Ononiwu et al, 1979b), deviations in dietary calcium and phosphorus (Scheideler et al, 1995), feeding crumble-pellet diets (Proudfoot et al, 1982), dietary fat content (Rotter et al, 1985) and feeding frequency Bowes et al, 1988). The latter recommendation of restricted feeding supports well the previous observation that abdominal fat deposition increases the risk of SDS such that restrictions on calorie:protein ratio decreases the incidence of SDS (Mollison et al, 1984).
The present investigation indicates that broilers in good body weight condition when not harvested timely and remain in poultry shade for prolonged periods suffer stressful events and even sudden death. Also, it is feasible that the increased humidity and hot season favors the growth of mold and fungus in stored feeds increasing the risk of birds to mycotoxicosis. This incidence of sudden death syndrome in birds in Kathmandu Valley was reported for the very first time and needs to be investigated further.
References.
Bowes VA, R.J. Julian, S. Leeson and T. Stirtzinger (1988). Effect of feed restriction on feed efficiency and incidence of sudden death syndrome in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 67(7):1102-four
Mollison B., W. Guenter,and B.R. Boycott (1984). Abdominal fat deposition and sudden death syndrome in broilers: the effects of restricted intake, early life caloric (fat) restriction, and calorie: protein ratio. Poultry Science 63(6):1190-200
Nain S, B. Laarveld B, C. Wojnarowicz C, and A.A. Olkowski (2007). Excessive dietary vitamin D supplementation as a risk factor for sudden death syndrome in rapidly growing commercial broilers. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology 148(four):828-33
Olkowski, A.A., C. Wojnarowicz, S. Nain, B. Ling, J. M. Alcorn, and B. Laarveld (2008). A study on pathogenesis of sudden death syndrome in broiler chickens. Investigation in Veterinary Science 2008 Aug85(1):131-40
Ononiwu, J.C., R.G. Thomson, H.C. Carlson, and R.J. Julian. (1979). Pathological Studies of “Sudden Death Syndrome” in Broiler Chickens. Canadian Veterinary Journal 20(three): 70–73
Ononiwu, J.C., R.G. Thomson, H.C. Carlson, and R.J. Julian. (1979b). Studies on effect of lighting on “Sudden death syndrome” in broiler chickens. . Canadian Veterinary Journal 20(3):74-7
Olkowski A.A. and H.L. Classen (1998). High incidence of cardiac arrhythmias in broiler chickens. Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe A 45(2):83-91
Olkowski A.A. and H.L. Classen (1997). Malignant ventricular dysrhythmia in broiler chickens dying of sudden death syndrome. Veterinary Record. 15140(7):177-9
Proudfoot FG, H.W. Hulan, K.B. McRae (1982). The effect of crumbled and pelleted feed on the incidence of sudden death syndrome amongst male chicken broilers. Poultry Science 61(8):1766-8
Reams R.Y, H.L. Thacker, D.D. Harrington, M.N. Novilla, G.E. Rottinghaus, G.A. Bennett , and J. Horn (1997). A sudden death syndrome induced in poults and chicks fed diets containing Fusarium fujikuroi with known concentrations of moniliformin. Avian Disease 41(1):20-35
Rotter B, W. Guenter, and B.R. Boycott (1985). Sudden death syndrome in broilers: dietary fat supplementation and its effect on tissue composition. Poultry Science 64(6):1128-36
Scheideler SE, D.V. Rives, J.D. Garlich, and P.R. Ferket (1995). Dietary calcium and phosphorus effects on broiler performance and the incidence of sudden death syndrome mortality. Poultry Science 74(12):2011-8
Acknowledgment:
We would like to thank Dr. Dev Raj Adhikari SVO and incharge of Central Veterinary Hospital Tripureshwor, Kathmandu for providining early indication of issue. Thanks are due to Dr.Pragya Koirala Veterinary Officer Mr.Bal Bahadur Kunwar Srnior Vet.Technician and Mr.Bhimsen Adhikari Vet.Technician of Microbioly Unit of Central Veterinary Laboratory for doing the microbiology works, Dr. Lin Tsang Lengthy, Avian Pathologist, and Dr. Stephen B. Hooser, Stephen, Head, Toxicology Section and Assistant Director, Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Purdue University U.S.A for their critique of the manuscript. Dr.Poornima Manandhar, Chief of CVL Tripureshwor deserves special thanks from this investigation team.
Free Email Newsletter
And then confirm your email subcription