CONCURRENT LEGCONCURRENT LEGCONCURRENT LEG CONCURRENT LEG PROBLEMS IN BROILERS PROBLEMS IN BROILERS

WITH REOVIRUS WITH REOVIRUS INFECTIONINFECTION

Drs. Eva WallnerDrs. Eva Wallner--Pendleton, Pendleton, Patricia Patricia Dunn, Dunn, Subhashinie Subhashinie

Kari a asam andKari a asam and H ag ang LH ag ang LKariyawasam and Kariyawasam and Huaguang Lu Huaguang Lu The Pennsylvania State The Pennsylvania State

University, Animal Diagnostic University, Animal Diagnostic LaboratoryLaboratory--PADLSPADLS

INVESTIGATION TIMELINEINVESTIGATION TIMELINEINVESTIGATION TIMELINEINVESTIGATION TIMELINE

Commercial broilersCommercial broilersCommercial broilers Commercial broilers submitted for “lameness” submitted for “lameness” or “splayor “splay--leg” problemsleg” problemsor splayor splay leg problems leg problems or uneven growth. or uneven growth.

Necropsy casesNecropsy casesNecropsy cases Necropsy cases submitted between submitted between FebruaryFebruary present 2012present 2012February February ––present 2012present 2012

“Approximately” 40 “Approximately” 40 fl k ADLfl k ADLflocks seen at ADLflocks seen at ADL

AGE RANGE OF NECROPSY AGE RANGE OF NECROPSY SUBMISSIONSSUBMISSIONSSUBMISSIONSSUBMISSIONS

11% = days 111% = days 1--141411% days 111% days 1--141426% = days 1526% = days 15--212120% 2220% 22 282820% = days 2220% = days 22--282823% = days 2923% = days 29--363620% = days 37+20% = days 37+

Lameness Problems Seen Lameness Problems Seen According To AgeAccording To AgeAccording To AgeAccording To Age

Most groups had some coccidiosis Most groups had some coccidiosis g pg ppresent (litter eating??), valgus present (litter eating??), valgus deformation and splaydeformation and splay--legslegsp yp y gg11--14 days14 days

Bacterial yolk sac infection, polyserositis and Bacterial yolk sac infection, polyserositis and acte a yo sac ect o , po yse os t s a dacte a yo sac ect o , po yse os t s a dseptic arthritisseptic arthritisS. enteritidisS. enteritidisFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosisTD lesionsTD lesionsAspergillosis in jointsAspergillosis in joints

Lameness Problems Seen Lameness Problems Seen A di T AA di T AAccording To AgeAccording To Age

1515--21 days21 days1515 21 days21 daysE. cecorum E. cecorum myositis and septicemiamyositis and septicemiaE. coli E. coli polyserositis and cellulitis and septic polyserositis and cellulitis and septic

th itith itiarthritisarthritisOsteomyelitisOsteomyelitisFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosis

2222--28 days28 daysE. coli E. coli polyserositis and purulent arthritispolyserositis and purulent arthritisStaphylococcus septic arthritisStaphylococcus septic arthritisE. cecorum E. cecorum septicemia septicemia S. thompson S. thompson infectioninfectionS. thompson S. thompson infectioninfectionFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosis

Lameness Problems Seen Lameness Problems Seen A di T AA di T AAccording To AgeAccording To Age

2929--36 days36 days2929--36 days36 daysOsteomyelitis and condritis Osteomyelitis and condritis E. cecorumE. cecorumE. cecorumE. cecorum

37 and up37 and upF l h d iF l h d iFemoral head necrosisFemoral head necrosisE. coli E. coli osteomyelitisosteomyelitisStaphylococcus in jointsStaphylococcus in jointsStaphylococcus in jointsStaphylococcus in joints

Typical Lameness Seen in The Typical Lameness Seen in The ChicksChicks

MOST COMMON LEG PROBLEM MOST COMMON LEG PROBLEM OBSERVED DURING TIME FRAMEOBSERVED DURING TIME FRAMEOBSERVED DURING TIME FRAMEOBSERVED DURING TIME FRAME

E.O. OviedoE.O. Oviedo--Rondon, NC Broiler Supervisor’s Short Course, 2008.Rondon, NC Broiler Supervisor’s Short Course, 2008.

Initially, Developmental Problem Initially, Developmental Problem Assumed Causing the Splay Legs Assumed Causing the Splay Legs

and Valgus Deformationand Valgus Deformation

High humidity during incubation.High humidity during incubation.High temperatures during the last phase of High temperatures during the last phase of embryo development.embryo development.Placing newly hatched chicks on slippery Placing newly hatched chicks on slippery Placing newly hatched chicks on slippery Placing newly hatched chicks on slippery surfaces.surfaces.Muscle weakness, bone, cartilage and tendon Muscle weakness, bone, cartilage and tendon development affected by incubation development affected by incubation conditions.conditions.Hip joint especially affectedHip joint especially affectedHip joint especially affected.Hip joint especially affected.

E. O. OviedoE. O. Oviedo--Rondon and Wineland. World Poultry. vol 27, no. Rondon and Wineland. World Poultry. vol 27, no. 5, 2011.5, 2011.

Polyserositis/septicemia, yolk sac Polyserositis/septicemia, yolk sac infections: infections: E. coliE. coli, , Salmonella enteritidisSalmonella enteritidis, , ,, ,,

Enterococcus cecorum Enterococcus cecorum

Other Common FindingsOther Common FindingsOther Common FindingsOther Common Findings

--MyositisMyositisyy--Osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (bone infection)(bone infection)--Septic arthritisSeptic arthritis

Enterococcus Enterococcus Enterococcus Enterococcus cecorumcecorum, , E. E. coli, coli, Staphylococcus Staphylococcus sometimes sometimes isolatedisolated

Osteomyelitis

isolatedisolated

Septic arthritis, tenosynovitisSeptic arthritis, tenosynovitisSeptic arthritis, tenosynovitisSeptic arthritis, tenosynovitis

Femoral Head NecrosisFemoral Head NecrosisFemoral Head NecrosisFemoral Head NecrosisBacterial infection of Bacterial infection of the growth plate the growth plate cartilage and bone in cartilage and bone in the femoral head the femoral head the femoral head, the femoral head, causing it to fracture.causing it to fracture.

Can be nonCan be non--infectious infectious as well secondary to as well secondary to rickets or rickets or rickets or rickets or osteoporosis.osteoporosis.

Tibial dyschondroplasiaTibial dyschondroplasiaTibial dyschondroplasiaTibial dyschondroplasiaFailure of the growth Failure of the growth l t til ll t l t til ll t plate cartilage cells to plate cartilage cells to

develop normally and a develop normally and a cartilage plug remainscartilage plug remainscartilage plug remains.cartilage plug remains.Affected joint often Affected joint often enlarged, some bowing enlarged, some bowing enlarged, some bowing enlarged, some bowing of legs may occur.of legs may occur.Painful if plug is large.Painful if plug is large.Painful if plug is large.Painful if plug is large.Nutritional/genetic Nutritional/genetic causes probable.causes probable.pp

DiscussionDiscussion84 % of submitted reovirus 84 % of submitted reovirus positive cases had other positive cases had other (primarily bacterial) leg (primarily bacterial) leg (primarily bacterial) leg (primarily bacterial) leg problems as well.problems as well.

16 % had only reovirus 16 % had only reovirus 16 % had only reovirus 16 % had only reovirus infection.infection.

These diseases probably exist These diseases probably exist These diseases probably exist These diseases probably exist in very low levels in any flock.in very low levels in any flock.

L i d b th L i d b th Lesions caused by the Lesions caused by the virus/immunosuppression may virus/immunosuppression may have played a role in these have played a role in these secondary infectionssecondary infectionssecondary infections.secondary infections.