Journal of World's Poultry Research

81-94

Authors: Arya Kh, Gupta R and Laxmi Saxena V.

This Review aims to understand the present status of influenza viruses and its epidemiology. The first case in India has been reported in the Dasarahalli village near Bangalore after six months of India’s declaration that it is free from H5N1 and H5N8 from world organization for animal health. The recent controversy regarding outbreaks and cross-species barrier resulted in highly contagious infection with fatal outcomes, triggered menace all over India with remarkable economic consequences. Thus, we had reviewed epidemiology, virology, surveillance, transmission, detection, treatment and associated control measures to depict the current perspective of Influenza epidemic. We also studied different Quails and its comprehensive portal susceptible to influenza and in-depth genetic characterization of virus due to new viral mutant causing host-virus complications, virus mutation, and vaccination with its prompt administration as it is the urgency of the era. Addressing aspects of the epidemiology of the H5N1 and drug resistance genomic signatures infecting poultry and Humans helps to frontier our ability to minimize data gaps and maximize the better results of the available H5N1 studies.

100-104

Authors: Kumar R, Brar RS, Banga HS and Sodhi S.

Vitamin D3 is ten times more biologically active than vitamin D2, over supplementation of vitamin D3 causes hypercalcemia with deposition of calcium and phosphate as crystals in the visceral organs. Birds are considered more resistant to endotoxin and information on inflammation and homeostasis in birds supplemented with higher dose of vitamin D3 when suffer endotoxic shock is lacking. The present study was conducted to compare the effect on hemoglobin concentration and biochemical parameters of broiler chicks by administering toxic dose of vitamin D3 for 21 days concomitantly challenged with endotoxin. The chicks were randomly divided into four groups viz. A, B, C and D. Hemoglobin concentrations of control groups (A and B) and treatment groups (C and D) did not differ significantly (P< 0.05). Hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia was observed in both treatment groups in comparison to the control group. No significant (P< 0.05) change was observed in the concentrations of total protein and albumin and in the activity of plasma Alanine Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferase and Alkaline Phosphatase on day 28 of control (A and B) and treatment (C and D) groups. Vitamin D3 supplementation causes immunomodulation; hence acute endotoxic shock does not incite inflammatory response and disturb the homeostasis in broiler chicks.

111-119

Authors: Rasol Al-Kafajy F, Sahib Al-Shuhaib MB, Salah Al-Jashami Gh, Mohammed Al-Thuwaini T.

The study was conducted to compare body weight, egg, and carcass characteristics, as well as several biochemical parameters amongst three lines of plumage color of quails, including, black, white, and brown (n= 200 each). Body weight was analyzed on a weekly basis throughout the study period (third– 13th week of age). Eggs were collected for seven consecutive weeks of sexual maturity (seventh – 13th week of age). In addition to egg quality measurements, 16 serum biochemical parameters were also determined. The brown line had exerted significantly higher values of body weight in most analyzed weeks of sexual maturity. It had given higher values of albumen height and shell thickness, as well as carcass dressing than other lines. Simultaneously, a significantly high number of eggs in the white line were observed in the most analyzed weeks. Besides, it had given higher values in terms of shell and yolk weights, as well as several carcass characteristics, such as the heart, thigh, breast, and back. The biochemical analyses had shown no significant differences amongst the analyzed populations with exception of a higher concentration of amylase in the brown line. In conclusion, our study revealed the presence of a clear superiority of the brown and white lines in terms of the meat and egg productivity, respectively. Therefore, we recommend breeders to raise brown and white lines for a better production of meat and eggs, respectively, whereas the black line has shown the least productive characteristics than other two lines throughout the study period.

127-133

Authors: Sedeik M El-S, Elshal NA, Awad AM and Kandil N.

Avian influenza (AI) disease still threat poultry industry in Egypt causing great economic losses. In order to identify and characterize the agent of suggestive clinical cases of AI disease, 28 flocks showing clinical signs suspected to be due to AI infections have been investigated. By slide Haemagglutination (HA), the positive samples were 14/28 and concerning the results of real time- reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR), 2/14 samples were positive to AI H5, 7/14 to New castle disease virus (NDV), 1/14 to H9 and 4/14 co-infected (2 samples had NDV + AI H5 and others had NDV + AI H9). These positive PCR samples were subjected to further characterization by genotyping and sequencing analysis. The two isolated of H5 AI strain were classified to H5N8 which, related to Russian strains (clade 2.3.4.4) and the genetic analysis approved little relationship between these two H5N8 strain and the commercial AI vaccines with percent (80- 91.7%). So, the researchers should have more monitoring for these viral diseases with effective biosecurity and quarantine measures to minimize the disease occurrence.