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Avian - 2002
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| (Print Friendly Version) |
| Project Contact: | Kakambi Nagaraja | Funding: | $74,150 |
| David A. Halvorson |
District:
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Unknown |
| • The Problem • Objectives • |
Avian pneumovirus has become a serious respiratory disease problem in the turkey industry since its first identification. Currently, more than one third of all turkey flocks being processed have been affected by APV. An understanding of the vectors involved in APV transmission and an examination of the persistence of APV in a turkey farm facility will help the industry to develop more effective control strategies.
Avian pneumovirus (APV) causes an acute respiratory infection in turkeys and chickens. The clinical signs of the infection include coughing, nasal discharge, swollen sinuses and mortality. An outbreak of APV is characterized by a sudden onset and rapid spread of infection throughout an entire flock. All ages of turkeys are susceptible.
Until definite sources of APV introductions in turkeys can be identified, it will be difficult for producers to control APV infection in domestic turkeys. Information on the bioecology and epidemiology of APV, needed for the formulation of control strategies, is still lacking. This is evidenced by the fact that the thorough disinfection procedures and biosecurity measures successfully implemented in the complete eradication of APV in Colorado, appear to have NOT worked in Minnesota which has a much larger growing and processing industry.
The first objective of this proposal is to determine the sources of transmission of APV infection. This will involve examining a variety of potential vectors, from wild birds and waterfowl to the animal byproducts used is turkey feed.
We have obtained a special permit from Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources. This will enable us to obtain samples of wild birds from rehabilitation centers in the state and provide us with an opportunity to examine a variety of species of wild birds for an assessment of APV presence. Because these samples most likely will have originated from birds collected near urban or forested areas, we will work with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health to trap wild birds near turkey farms.
We also seek to determine how long APV persists in a flock and barn environment, by collecting and analyzing samples from the time of first exposure until the birds are sent to market. In some of our past studies, we discovered that APV can remain viable in a variety of harsh environmental conditions. Currently, there is no information in the literature indicating the length of persistence of APV in infected flocks.