Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Abstract

Pathological causes of respiratory infections in five broilers flocks in Al-Hamdanyia region were studied. Each flock consisted of 5000-7000 birds at 20-40 days of old which suffered from respiratory infection signs with high mortality ratio. Specific ELISA kit for avian influenza virus (AIV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and infectious bronchitis disease virus (IBV), were used as sera diagnostic tests as well as bacteriological isolation. Results shows (AIV) infections at all flocks with nearly similar percentages which were 14%, 15%, 18%, 13%, 10% respectively, (NDV) were recorded at three flocks of older ages with 8%, 12%, 20% at the flocks number 3-5 respectively but no any infection of (IBV) infection was recorded. Bacteriological isolation shows E.coli infections in three flocks with 20% at each of the flocks number 3 and 5 but it was 10% in the flock number 4, also three Gram positive bacteria were isolated, Streptococcus fecalis, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, and Staphylococcus aureus at nearly similar percentages ranged from 5% - 20%. In conclusion the real cause of respiratory infection in this study was (AIV) which causes bird immune suppression leading to other disease infections like (NDV), and other bacterial infections.