Effect of housing arrangement on fecal-oral transmission of avian hepatitis E virus in chicken flocks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Avian hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is common in chicken flocks in China, as currently no measures exist to prevent the spread of the disease. In this study, we analyzed the effect of caged versus cage-free housing arrangements on avian HEV transmission. First, 127 serum and 110 clinical fecal samples were collected from 4 chicken flocks including the two arrangements in Shaanxi Province, China and tested for HEV antibodies and/or virus. Concurrently, 36 specific-pathogen-free chickens were divided equally into four experimental living arrangement groups, designated cage-free (Inoculated), caged (Inoculated), cage-free (Negative) and caged (Negative) groups. In caged groups, three cages contained 3 chickens each. Three chickens each from cage-free (Inoculated) and ca

SUBMITTER: Liu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5590127 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature