Molecular characterization of fowl adenovirus in commercial chicken flocks in Ecuador

Abstract

Fowl Adenovirus Group I (FAdV-I) is considered an important pathogen in the poultry industry in Ecuador and worldwide. Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH) and Hydropericardium Syndrome (HPS) are the main diseases associated with this virus, and despite being an etiological agent that is usually related to immunosuppressive diseases such as Chicken Anemia Virus or Gumboro disease, recent studies have demonstrated the pathological activity of FAdV-I as the primary responsible for certain diseases. Since the 1990s, several outbreaks of IBH and HPS have been reported in many Latin American countries, identifying the serotype 4 of FADV-I as the causal agent of these outbreaks. The aim of this study is to determine by molecular methods like the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), the presence of the FAdV-I serotypes found in commercial poultry farms in Ecuador. Different organs of birds with enteric problems were collected in the northern area of ??Ecuador, and subsequently impregnated in FTA cards for transport and processing. 4/13 (30.8%) samples were positive for FAdV-I and by sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of DNA amplified by PCR, serotypes 6 and 11 of FAdV-I were characterized. These data show us the variety of serotypes present in poultry farms in Ecuador that could be influencing the health status of the country's poultry industry.