First report of Avian metapneumovirus type B in Iraqi broiler flocks with swollen head syndrome

Vet World Vol.15 January-2022 Article-3

Research Article

Veterinary World, 15(1): 16-21

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2022.16-21

Baraa Akeel Al-Hasan¹, Abdullah O. Alhatami², Husam Muhsen Abdulwahab³, Ghadeer Sabah Bustani^4,5, Muhammad Ali Hameed¹, and Ameer Haider Jawad¹

1. Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq.
2. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
3. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
4. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq.
5. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Nursing, Altoosi University College, Najaf, Iraq.

Background and Aim: Swollen head syndrome (SHS) is a complex disease caused by various agents, including bacterial and viral pathogens, as well as environmental factors. Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is one of the most important causes of respiratory diseases and SHS in poultry and one of the most widespread viruses worldwide; however, it has not been recorded in Iraq. This study aimed at the molecular identification and subtyping of aMPV in poultry, with the objectives of investigating the prevalence of aMPV in infected broiler flocks with SHS and molecular typing using primers specific to the study of the prevalence of subtypes A, B, and C of aMPV.

Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 67 broiler farms that reported typical SHS from September 2018 to August 2019. Swabs were collected from the trachea, infraorbital sinuses, and lung, then uploaded on FTA cards and subjected to an RNA extraction protocol.

Results: aMPV was detected in 16 (23.8%) samples. Molecular typing using primers specific to the attachment glycoprotein (G) gene showed that all positive samples belonged to subtype B, as assessed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction technique.

Conclusion: aMPV may be the main etiological factor causing SHS in poultry. Moreover, this was the first report of the prevalence of subtype B aMPV strains in broiler farms in Iraq. Keywords: Avian metapneumovirus type (B), Iraq, middle Euphrates region, swollen head syndrome, upper respiratory tract infection, viral infection poultry.

Keywords: Avian metapneumovirus type (B), Iraq, middle Euphrates region, swollen head syndrome, upper respiratory tract infection, viral infection poultry.

How to cite this article: Al-Hasan BA, Alhatami AO, Abdulwahab HM, Bustani GS, Hameed MA, Jawad AH (2022) First report of Avian metapneumovirus type B in Iraqi broiler flocks with swollen head syndrome, Veterinary World, 15(1): 16-21.

Received: 12-08-2021 Accepted: 22-11-2021 Published online: 08-01-2022

Corresponding author: Ghadeer Sabah Bustani E-mail: bustani@iunajaf.edu.iq

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.16-21

Copyright: Al-Hasan, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.