Incidence of Chicken Anemia Virus in Sharkia Governorate Chicken Flocks

Abstract

Chicken anemia virus has a great economic impact on poultry industry all over the world but firstly isolated in Japan, 1979. In this study many suspected chicken flocks with history of weakness, anemia, poor condition and vaccination failure at different localities of Sharkia governorate. The presence of the virus was confirmed by PCR assay where organs sample (bone marrow, thymus, bursa of fabricius, liver and spleen) from different age and breeds of chicken farms reacted positive to DNA primers. Serological screening by ELISA showed that 84.72% of examined serum samples of chickens were positive. Histopathological lesions of infected flocks reflected lymphocytic depletion and hypoplastic bone marrow. It is clear that the virus is a dangerous threat for chicken industry at Sharkia governorate and there is great need for intervention with immunization programs of breeders against the disease.