Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys and related infections (review)

In the conditions of intensive development of turkey farming, the range of relevant infectious diseases is also expanding, timely diagnostics and prevention of which prevents significant economic losses of poultry farms. Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys is an acute highly contagious viral disease of turkeys and pheasants, characterized by gastrointestinal bleeding, necrosis of the spleen, diarrhea and sudden death. The virus of hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys, in addition, causes immunodepression, which increases the susceptibility of turkeys to bacterial (Escherichia coli, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale) and viral infections, which also leads to economic damage. Literary sources were reviewed in Russian and international citation databases using keywords related to hemorrhagic enteritis in turkeys, marbled spleen disease, and adenovirus splenomegaly in chickens. The review included research published between 1993 and 2020, as well as information from a 1937 article that first reported data on hemorrhagic enteritis in turkeys. In the Russian Federation, hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys and related infections are poorly studied, and specific preventive measures have not been developed. Information on the biological properties of pathogens, epizootological features of the course of hemorrhagic enteritis in turkeys and related infections, diagnostic methods and specific prevention methods will help veterinary specialists in ensuring epizootological well-being for these infections. The effectiveness of measures when the disease occurs depends on timely diagnosis. The correctness of sampling pathological material that must be sent to the laboratory for isolation and identification of the pathogen directly affects the speed of research and their reliability. The purpose of this article was to present modern information on hemorrhagic enteritis in turkeys and related infections, such as marbled spleen disease in pheasants and adenovirus splenomegaly in chickens.

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