A report on endogenous avian leucosis virus in bantam chicken

Abstract

In this study, a bantam chicken presented with a history of sudden death was investigated for avian pathogens by post-mortem examination and molecular diagnostic techniques. Gross pathology revealed mild hepatomegaly, suggestive of ALV or MD. PCR testing ruled out MD and the J subgroup of ALV as negative, but detected a positive amplicon for ALV subgroups A-E. Subsequent subgroup-specific PCR confirmed the presence of ALV Subgroup E. Histopathological examination revealed no lymphoid cells infiltration, indicating the presence of non-infectious endogenous ALV E. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring ALV in bantam chickens to manage its prevalence and support the breeding of ALV-free flocks.