Detection, characterization, and persistence of Campylobacter hepaticus, the cause of spotty liver disease in layer hens
Article
Article Title | Detection, characterization, and persistence of Campylobacter hepaticus, the cause of spotty liver disease in layer hens |
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ERA Journal ID | 5457 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Courtice, Jodi M., Ahmad, Tarek B., Wei, Chuanyu, Mahdi, Layla K., Palmieri, Chiara, Juma, Sarah, Groves, Peter J., Hancock, Kerry, Korolik, Victoria, Petrovsky, Nikolai and Kotiw, Michael |
Journal Title | Poultry Science |
Journal Citation | 102 (7) |
Article Number | 102462 |
Number of Pages | 7 |
Year | 2023 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Place of Publication | Netherlands |
ISSN | 0032-5791 |
1525-3171 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2022.102462 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579122007568 |
Abstract | A Campylobacter species was first described as the etiological agent of Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) in 2015 and subsequently named as Campylobacter hepaticus in 2016. The bacterium predominantly affects barn and/or free-range hens at peak lay, is fastidious and difficult to isolate, which has impeded elucidation of its sources, means of persistence and transmission. Ten farms from South-Eastern Australia, of which 7 were free range entities participated in the study. A total of 1,404 specimens from layers and 201 from environmental sources, were examined for the presence of C. hepaticus. In this study, our principal findings included the continuing detection of C. hepaticus infection in a flock following an outbreak, indicating a possible transition of infected hens to asymptomatic carriers, that was also characterized by no further occurrence of SLD in the flock. We also report that the first outbreaks of SLD on newly commissioned free-range farms affected layers ranging from 23 to 74 wk of age, while subsequent outbreaks in replacement flocks on these farms occurred during the more conventional peak lay period (23–32 wk of age). Finally, we report that in the on-farm environment, C. hepaticus DNA was detected in layer feces, inert elements such as stormwater, mud, soil, as well as in fauna such as flies, red mites, Darkling beetles, and rats. While in off-farm locations, the bacterium was detected in feces from a variety of wild birds and a canine. |
Keywords | spotty liver disease; layer hen; Campylobacter hepaticus |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300304. Animal protection (incl. pests and pathogens) |
Byline Affiliations | University of Southern Queensland |
University of South Australia | |
University of Queensland | |
University of Sydney | |
Griffith University | |
Flinders University |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/z0q15/detection-characterization-and-persistence-of-campylobacter-hepaticus-the-cause-of-spotty-liver-disease-in-layer-hens
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