Clinical Laboratory Outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome in Broiler Chicken in Kathmandu Valley Nepal

Clinical Laboratory Outbreak of Sudden Death				Candida
Syndrome in Broiler Chicken in Kathmandu Valley				58
Nepal				28
				172

1: Dr.Kedar Karki Senior Veterinary Officer
Central Veterinary Laboratory in Kathmandu				117
Tripureshwor, Nepal				55
2: Dr Esmeraldo M. Cabana, Veterinary Pathologist,
Animal Health Laboratories, Diagnostic Services				Treatment and Preventive measure given to the rest
Branch Department of Primary Industries and Water,				of birds in flock:
Tasmania, Australia,
ABSTRACT:				All birds remaining in flocks were subjected to
The incidence of sudden death of broiler birds above				restricted feed up to 8-10%, and feed to twice daily
40 days suddenly increased in the month of August				only. Supplementation with glucose containing
2008 in Kathmandu valley. Birds that were presented				electrolyte, liquid toxin binders, Immunomodulater, and
for post-mortem examination in Central Veterinary				simple broad-spectrum antibiotics were provided in
Laboratory Tripureshwor Kathmandu were usually				water. Vitamin B complex supplementation was
found dead on their backs with wings out-stretched.				totally withdrawn. All birds remaining in all affected
Incidence rate was recorded between 1.5 to 2.5% of				farms responded well to the above management and
the flock. The mean mortality due to sudden death				there were marked improvement in the overall
syndrome was 1.3 - 9.6% and mortality usually occurs				condition of the flock.
after 6 week of age. There are no outstanding gross
lesions on post mortem examinations, except for				Result and Discussion.
muscle oedema, pulmonary, renal and liver congestion,
and congestive spleenomegally.				Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is an acute heart
				failure disease that affects mainly male fast growing
Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Candida spp, E.coli,				chickens that seem to be in good condition. Although
Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were				a common condition in fast growing birds, the
the usual organisms isolated from culture samples of				pathogenesis remains unclear (Ononiwu et. al. 1979).
liver, lung, spleen and proventriculus. Reduction of				Cardiac arrhythmias are involved in the pathogenesis
mortality was achieved by feed restriction,				of SDS with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) being the
supplementation of glucose containing electrolyte,				most common observation representing premature
liquid toxin binder, Immunomodulater, acidifier and				ventricular contractions and fibrillation (Olkowski and
antibiotic therapy. The condition seems to be related				Classen, 1997; 1998). It has been reported that
to fast growth rate. A practical approach seems to				broilers fed with high vitamin D3 diet above the
use diets with 5-7% reduction in nutrient density. The				recommended levels in an attempt to prevent
provision of more space and supportive treatment				commonly occurring leg problems were 2.5 fold more
with anti-stress medicine may also be beneficial.				likely to succumb to acute heart failure and die of
				SDS (Nain et. Al. 2007). SDS was also experimentally
Key word:				induced by feeding diets containing the mycotoxin
Sudden death syndrome, broiler birds, Kathmandu				moniliformin that resulted to cardiac injury with
Valley, Nepal				subsequent alterations in cardiac electrical
				conductance (Reams et al, 1997) suggesting the
				possible role of chronic mycotoxicosis to the
				causation of SDS. Other implicated causes of SDS
Background of outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome				include continuous artificial lighting (Ononiwu et al,
in Kathmandu Valley.				1979b), deviations in dietary calcium and phosphorus
				(Scheideler et al, 1995), feeding crumble-pellet diets
During the first week of August 2008 there sudden				(Proudfoot et al, 1982), dietary fat content (Rotter
increase in mortality of broilers above 6 week age				et al, 1985) and feeding frequency Bowes et al,
(Table 1). There are no premonitory signs. Just				1988). The latter recommendation of restricted
before death, birds appear normal and it is common				feeding supports well the previous observation that
to observe the birds feeding, drinking or walking				abdominal fat deposition increases the risk of SDS
normally. Then suddenly, affected birds exhibit clinical				such that restrictions on calorie:protein ratio
signs such as extending their neck, squawk and start				decreases the incidence of SDS (Mollison et al, 1984).
wing beating as well as leg extension before falling
back on their back and die suddenly.				The present investigation indicates that broilers in
				good body weight condition when not harvested
Table: 1. Epidemiology of Affected flock with sudden				timely and remain in poultry shade for prolonged
Death Syndrome in Month of August 2008:				periods suffer stressful events and even sudden
				death. Also, it is possible that the increased humidity
Durationno. of farm				and hot season favors the growth of mold and
Population at risk				fungus in stored feeds increasing the risk of birds to
Morbidity				mycotoxicosis. This incidence of sudden death
(%)				syndrome in birds in Kathmandu Valley was reported
Mortality				for the first time and needs to be investigated
(%)				further.
No. of samples examined
				References.
First week
22				Bowes VA, R.J. Julian, S. Leeson and T. Stirtzinger
16620				(1988). Effect of feed restriction on feed efficiency
4250 (25.57%)				and incidence of sudden death syndrome in broiler
369				chickens. Poultry Science 67(7):1102-4
(2.22%)
44				Mollison B., W. Guenter,and B.R. Boycott (1984).
Second week				Abdominal fat deposition and sudden death syndrome
14				in broilers: the effects of restricted intake, early life
15450				caloric (fat) restriction, and calorie: protein ratio.
1235				Poultry Science 63(6):1190-200
(7.99%)
232				Nain S, B. Laarveld B, C. Wojnarowicz C, and A.A.
(1.50%)				Olkowski (2007). Excessive dietary vitamin D
28				supplementation as a risk factor for sudden death
Third week				syndrome in fast growing commercial broilers.
20				Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A,
10260				Molecular & Integrative Physiology 148(4):828-33
848
(8.26%)				Olkowski, A.A., C. Wojnarowicz, S. Nain, B. Ling, J. M.
157				Alcorn, and B. Laarveld (2008). A study on
(1.53%)				pathogenesis of sudden death syndrome in broiler
40				chickens. Research in Veterinary Science 2008
Fourth week				Aug;85(1):131-40
30
15700				Ononiwu, J.C., R.G. Thomson, H.C. Carlson, and R.J.
2380				Julian. (1979). Pathological Studies of “Sudden
(15.16%)				Death Syndrome” in Broiler Chickens. Canadian
149				Veterinary Journal 20(3): 70–73
(0.94%)
60				Ononiwu, J.C., R.G. Thomson, H.C. Carlson, and R.J.
Total				Julian. (1979b). Studies on effect of lighting on
86				"Sudden death syndrome" in broiler chickens. .
58030				Canadian Veterinary Journal 20(3):74-7
8713
(15.01%)				Olkowski A.A. and H.L. Classen (1998). High incidence
907				of cardiac arrhythmias in broiler chickens. Zentralblatt
(1.56%)				für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe A 45(2):83-91
172
				Olkowski A.A. and H.L. Classen (1997). Malignant
Postmortem finding of SDS birds:				ventricular dysrhythmia in broiler chickens dying of
				sudden death syndrome. Veterinary Record.
Postmortem examination of birds that died of sudden				15;140(7):177-9
death syndrome revealed showed no outstanding
gross pathology. All birds were well fleshed, with				Proudfoot FG, H.W. Hulan, K.B. McRae (1982). The
muscle edema and general pulmonary congestion and				effect of crumbled and pelleted feed on the
edema. Feed was present along the entire digestive				incidence of sudden death syndrome among male
tract and the gall bladders of birds are usually empty.				chicken broilers. Poultry Science 61(8):1766-8
The liver and kidneys were usually slightly congested
and have patchy sub capsular hemorrhage. Usually,				Reams R.Y, H.L. Thacker, D.D. Harrington, M.N. Novilla,
the proventriculus contains a milky fluid, and intact				G.E. Rottinghaus, G.A. Bennett , and J. Horn (1997). A
food particles are present in gizzard. Congestive				sudden death syndrome induced in poults and chicks
spleenomegally was observed in almost all birds. All				fed diets containing Fusarium fujikuroi with known
these post mortem observations conform to the				concentrations of moniliformin. Avian Disease
descriptions of the syndrome made by Ononiwu et.				41(1):20-35
al. (1979).
				Rotter B, W. Guenter, and B.R. Boycott (1985).
				Sudden death syndrome in broilers: dietary fat
Laboratory Finding of Mycobiota and Micro biota of				supplementation and its effect on tissue composition.
Postmortem Tissue samples:				Poultry Science 64(6):1128-36
				Scheideler SE, D.V. Rives, J.D. Garlich, and P.R. Ferket
A total 86 tissue samples of lung, liver, spleen,				(1995). Dietary calcium and phosphorus effects on
Proventriculus and gizzard, were collected during				broiler performance and the incidence of sudden
postmortem examination and were subjected for				death syndrome mortality. Poultry Science
both bacterial and mycological culture. Results of				74(12):2011-8
microbiological examination done are given in Table 2.

Table: 2.				Acknowledgment:

No. of samples				We would like to thank Dr. Dev Raj Adhikari SVO
Bacterial isolated				and incharge of Central Veterinary Hospital
Fungi isolated				Tripureshwor, Kathmandu for providining early
Positive nonegative no				indication of problem. Thanks are due to Dr.Pragya
86				Koirala Veterinary Officer Mr.Bal Bahadur Kunwar
E.coli,				Srnior Vet.Technician and Mr.Bhimsen Adhikari
Streptococcus,				Vet.Technician of Microbioly Unit of Central Veterinary
Staphylococcus				Laboratory for doing the microbiology works, Dr. Lin
				Tsang Long, Avian Pathologist, and Dr. Stephen B.
59				Hooser, Stephen, Head, Toxicology Section and
27				Assistant Director, Animal Disease Diagnostic
86				Laboratory Purdue University U.S.A for their critique
				of the manuscript. Dr.Poornima Manandhar, Chief of
Aspergillus,				CVL Tripureshwor deserves special thanks from this
Penicillium,				investigation team.

Cell Immune

Clinical Laboratory Outbreak of Sudden Death Syndrome in Broiler Chicken in Kathmandu Valley Nepal

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