False layer syndrome in Canada due to DMV/1639

Hens with false layer syndrome can look healthy, but if they’re infected with DMV/1639, egg production can be adversely affected since the virus affects the oviducts, Mohamed Hassan, a PhD student at the University of Calgary, told Poultry Health Today. Egg production can be reduced significantly, while producers may also see poor quality eggs, he said. Hassan and colleagues infected specific-pathogen-free chickens in peak lay with a Canadian strain of DMV/1639 to understand the lesions caused by the pathogen, particularly in the reproductive tract. Compared to uninfected controls, egg production in the infected hens dropped from 90% to 40% starting 5 days post-infection. Upon necropsy at 10 days post-infection, the investigators found regressed ovaries and atrophied oviducts, as well as missing epithelium, edema and protein deposition in the uterus, Hassan reported. ELISA testing of reproductive tract washes to measure the local and systemic immune response demonstrated a ...