Detection of viral pathogens from broiler flocks showing signs typical to transmissible viral proventriculitis

Transmissible viral proventriculitis (TVP) is currently a serious and ongoing problem in the poultry industry, causing significant financial losses worldwide. Numerous viral pathogens have been suspected to be the etiological agent of TVP, including birnaviruses, coronaviruses and reoviruses, however until recently no definite causative agent was determined for this disease. In this study chickens from 13 commercial Romanian flocks with increased mortality rate, feathering problems and clinical signs suggestive of TVP were examined by histopathology and methods applying polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the direct demonstration of viruses suspected to play a role in TVP: avian reovirus, infectious bursal disease virus and chicken proventricular necrosis virus (CPNV). Histopathology revealed lesions suggestive of TVP. All the flocks were found positive by PCR for avian reovirus but none were positive for the newly implicated CPNV.