hydropericardium in poultry

2. INTRODUCTION
 Also known as “Hydropericardium–hepatitis
syndrome” “leechi disease” or “angara disease”
 The disease occurs usually in 3-5 week-old
healthy broilers .
 Characterized by high morbidity and
mortality, excess accumulation of fluid under
pericardium and many areas of necrotic foci
in the liver

3. ETIOLOGY
 Caused by group I adenovirus ( mostly
serotype 4 & 8)
 The adenovirus is a non-enveloped
icosahedral,
 The nucleic acid is linear, ds DNA
 These viruses are capable of producing the
disease without the immunosuppressive
effects of associated viruses such as IBD or
other immunosuppressive agents.

4. Transmission
 It is transmitted both vertically and
horizontally
 Adenovirus may remain latent in breeding
stock until the onset of maturity and then are
shed following immunosuppression or stress
 Horizontal spread of virus by carriers occurs.
 Fecal contamination of clothes, footwear and
equipment including transport crates and
vehicles may spread infection.

5. PATHOGENESIS
• VIRUS ENTERS INTO THE BODY
 INITIAL MULTIPLICATION OF THE VIRUS
OCCURS IN SMALL AND LARGE INTESTINE.
 VIRAEMIA OCCURS WITH SPREADING OF
VIRUS TO MANY ORGANS LIKE LIVER,
KIDNEY, RESPIRATORY TRACT, BONE
MARROW AND BURSA.
• VIRUS CAN BE READILY ISOLATED FROM
FECES, OCULAR AND NASAL MUCOSA,
BURSA

6. • Chicken once affected with
adenovirus becomes lifelong
carrier.

7. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 Sudden increase in mortality (20-80%):
Mortality starts at about 3 weeks and
reaches it’s peak in 4 to 5 weeks.
 flocks of 3-5 weeks old broilers with HP may
not show specific signs i.e. bird may remain
active just until before death, but abrupt
onset of mortality with lethargy, ruffled
feather & yellow mucoid dropping may
be seen

9. Gross lesions
 Straw coloured clear, jelly like fluid upto 20
ml in pericardial sac i.e. hydropericardium
 Enlarged pale friable liver
 The kidneys are pale, swollen and mottled
appearance
 accumulation of fluid in lungs.
 Generalized congestion

13. Histopathological lesions
 Myocardial edema in heart with degeneration,
necrosis and mononuclear cell infiltration
 Basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies may
be present in liver
 In many of the hepatic cells, the nuclei
disappear entirely, leaving a ghost cell
consisting of one or more large vacuoles.

16. Diagnosis
• Necropsy: gross and microscopic lesion
• histological investigations and detection of
intra-nuclear inclusion bodies in
hepatocytes
• detection of the antigen or virus particles
using immunofluorescence test or electron
microscopy
• PCR