Severe histiolymphocytic and heterophilic bronchopneumonia as a reaction to in ovo fowlpox vaccination in broiler chicks

Vet Pathol. 2010 Jan;47(1):177-80. doi: 10.1177/0300985809353314.

Abstract

Broiler chickens on several farms from a single poultry company experienced neurological signs and mortality in chicks between 3 days and 10 days of age over a 3-week period after use of a fowlpox-vectored infectious laryngotracheitis virus vaccine in ovo. At necropsy the lungs contained numerous tan or gray, opaque to translucent, 0.5- to 2.0-mm nodules in the parenchyma. Microscopic lesions were a multifocal severe lymphohistiocytic and heterophilic bronchopneumonia. Immunohistochemistry was positive for fowlpox virus in macrophages and lymphocytes, and polymerase chain reaction on paraffin-embedded lung tissues was positive for a fowlpox vector virus commonly used as a vaccine. The cause of the neurological signs was not determined.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bronchopneumonia / etiology
  • Bronchopneumonia / pathology
  • Bronchopneumonia / veterinary*
  • Chickens / virology*
  • Fowlpox / prevention & control*
  • Fowlpox virus
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lung / virology
  • Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Macrophages / pathology
  • Ovum
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Poultry Diseases / etiology
  • Poultry Diseases / pathology*
  • Viral Vaccines / adverse effects*

Substances

  • Viral Vaccines