Iranian Journal of Virology

en Avian Infectious Laryngotrachetitis outbreaks in Iranian Broiler Farms عمومى General گزارش کوتاه Short communication <div style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none; border-right:none; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">Background and Aims: Infectious laryngotracheitis virus is a member of Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1 causing an acute respiratory infection in chickens throughout the world. The virus lowers normal growth and egg production and leads to economic damages during outbreaks. In Iran, the use of ILT vaccines is restricted to layer poultry farms, and vaccination is not applied in broilers since the outbreaks seldom occur among broilers. Some ILT suspected outbreaks were seen in broiler farms of two provinces of Iran. The present study was conducted to detect the etiologic agent. Material and methods: Evaluation of clinical signs and gross lesions were performed to diagnose the disease. A PCR test targeting a 113-bp product from the ILTV UL15a gene was carried out to confirm the diagnosis. Results: The affected chicks represented clinical signs of coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, gasping, and conjunctivitis with mortality. Hyperemia and bloody mucus in tracheas were observed in post mortem analysis. In the PCR test, samples collected from all of the examined four farms showed the expected 113-bp band size. Conclusions: The present work for the first time diagnosed ILT outbreak based on a molecular method in broiler chickens kept in Iran. This is an alarming issue according to the intensive population of broilers, hinting an urgent need for more investigations to identify probable ILTVs circulating among broiler poultry farms causing either mild or severe respiratory diseases. Virus isolation and full genome sequencing are required to characterize the viruses. Furthermore, vaccination of pullets against ILT might be effective to control the outbreaks.   </div> Avian Infectious Laryngotrachetitis, Broiler, Iran, Outbreak 29 32 http://journal.isv.org.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-120-20&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Naser Sadri naser.sadri@ymail.com 10031947532846007984 10031947532846007984 No Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Seyed Ahmad Madani madani@ut.ac.ir 10031947532846007985 10031947532846007985 No Department of Animal Nutrition Plant Health , Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Hossein Hosseini hosseini.ho@gmail.com 10031947532846007986 10031947532846007986 No Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran. Hamideh Najafi najafi1988@gmail.com 10031947532846007987 10031947532846007987 No Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Arash GhalyanchiLangeroudi arashghalyanchi@gmail.com 10031947532846007988 10031947532846007988 Yes Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.