Occurrence: Worldwide Species affected: Fast-growing, healthy, heaviest turkeys. Age affected: 7-24 weeks. Higher incidence in males.

Causes: Unknown mode of transmission, high blood pressure, genetics and/or nutrition may play a role.

 

Effects: Heavy, fast-growing birds die suddenly due to internal haemorrhage and flop on their backs.

 

Detailed causes:

Fast-growing, healthy, heaviest turkeys and broilers may die suddenly between 7 and 24 weeks of age. The disease has a higher incidence in males. The disease is non-contagious, and is caused by the development of intimal plaques in the abdominal aorta. Higher blood pressure in involved, and so genetics and/or nutrition may play a role.

Special note:

Genetic strains differ in blood pressure level and incidence of the disease. Reduction in incidence due to breeding has been seen.

 

Clinical signs:

Heavy fast growing birds die suddenly due to internal haemorrhage and flop on there backs. Mortality rarely reaches 2% of the flock. It is most common between 12 and 16 weeks of age.

 

Postmortem lesions

A dissecting aneurysm close to the kidneys or testes is seen with blood in the abdominal cavity. The head, skin and musculature are anaemic. Occasionally, blood will run out of the mouth or the oral cavity will be blood-stained.

 

Diagnosis:

There is a longitudinal slit in the aorta between the external iliac and the sciatic arteries. A marked intimal thickening or a large fibrous intimal plague often occurs in the region or rupture. These microscopic lesions with clinical signs are characteristic.

 

Treatment and control:

Slowing growth rate with reduced energy level in the feed, or feed restriction using a lighting programme, or the use of mash feed. These management factors will reduce the disease, but at a cost of reduced growth.

 

Reserpine in the feed can control the condition.

 

 

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