Marek's disease is still a major problem among Egyptian poultry flocks, despite the intensive vaccination programs against the disease. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of MDV infection among forty-four flocks of breeders and layers with ages ranged from 4-20 months. Feather follicle specimens were collected during 2012-2015 from 44 vaccinated chicken flocks showing emaciation and visceral tumors. The samples were tested by PCR using three pairs of primers. Nineteen flocks were positive for MDV using primers targeting the UL 19 gene with a percentage of 43.2%. Three flocks were shown to be positive by primers targeting the meq and 132 bp tandem repeat genes with a percentage of 6.8%. Inoculation of duck embryo fibroblast (DEF) and chick embryo fibroblast (CEF) showed CPE in the form of plaques formation within 5-14 days post inoculation. Sequencing of meq and 132 tandem repeat genes of the 3 samples revealed that the isolated strains exhibited 99% homology with the very virulent European, Chinese, American, Indian and Egyptian MDV isolates. In conclusion, although the availability of MDV vaccines especially HVT vaccine which is used in the examined flocks in the present study, the disease was recorded. Thus, indicating that HVT vaccines are unable to protect completely against more virulent strains. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new strategy and types of vaccination to be able to protect against new strains of virus.

IBH is associated with fowl aviadenoviruses (FAdVs), which are non-enveloped double stranded DNA viruses with icosahedral symmetry (Zhao et al., 2015; Mase et al., 2009). The virus DNA is associated with many proteins (Ginsberg, 2013), the main proteins are hexon (II) and fibre (IV) with a penton base (III) non-covalently attached, and numerous minor proteins: VI, VIII, IX, IIIa and IVa2 (Russell, 2000).The existing classification scheme identifies five types of fowl aviadenoviruses A to E (FAdV-A to FAdV-E) on mo research Article Abstract | During the last 10 years, many inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) outbreaks across Egypt were reported causing high economic losses to poultry industry. The current study aimed the detection and molecular characterization of IBH in broilers at Sharkia governorate. For identification and genotyping of fowl adenoviruses related to IBH in broiler flocks, liver samples representing 40 broiler flocks were collected and tested for FAdVs based on hexon gene detection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We recorded most loses among broilers at 3-5 weeks of age. Only depression, ruffled feather were the observed signs with varied mortality (8-14%). On necropsy, liver was yellowish, friable, enlarged and hemorrhagic. For identification and genotyping of Fowl adenoviruses related to inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in broiler flocks at Sharkia governorate, liver samples representing 40 broiler flocks were collected and tested for FAdVs based on hexon gene detection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR Out of the forty examined broiler flocks, three flocks (7.5%) were recorded PCR positive for Aviadenoviruses. Based on hexon loop-1 gene analysis, the nucleotide sequence identity of the three positive samples (EG101/2018, EG102/2018 and EG103/2018) was >97.7% and genetically was closer to reference strains serotype 2 (FAdV-2), the three examined strains shared a high degree of nucleotide identity (97.6-99.6%). Using neighbor joining for the phylogenetic tree construction depending on hexon gene nucleotides and amino acids sequences, our strains were clustered in the same clade with FAdV type D. This study help to extend the current knowledge about the currently circulating IBH viruses and to develop vaccination and control strategy.

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Chlamydophila psittaci is one of the most important, zoonotic pathogen of birds causing chlamydiosis. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of infection by Cp. psittaci and to determine the genotype in birds at potential risk of exposure to this pathogen. In total four species of wild birds (50 native and 40 migratory quails, 30 doves and 25 tree sparrows) and four species of pet birds, (20 Budgerigars,10 cockatiels, 3 finches, 5 love birds) were examined for the presense of Chlamydophila psittaci using impression smears stained with Giemsa stain, smears from yolk sacs were stained with Gimenez stain and PCR . The results were (80%-100%) , (85%-100%) and (80%-100%) in pet birds followed by wild birds (64%-85%) , (76%-95%) and (80%-90%), respectivelly The pathogencity of three isolates by intratracheal route with 10 6 TCID/ml in 15 days old chickens and quails was done and showed that the more pathogenic strain for chickens and quails was the pet birds strain. The observed clinical signs were respiratory signs, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea, While the pathological changes were congestion in liver, lung, spleen, and pericarditis while mild clinical and pathological changes were observed post infection by tree sparrows and migratory quails isolates. The partial ompA gene sequence of isolated Cp. psittaci strain was placed in genotype A of Cp. psittaci which had the highest identity (91.9-94%) with previously similar described strains of genotype A. Pet and wild birds were the major reservoir for Cp. psittaci which shed in their excreta and expose human and native birds to high zoonotic risk.