10/13/2023: 

In the previous Veekijker News, we reported a significant increase in the number of submissions for necropsy whereby tenosynovitis caused by reovirus was diagnosed. Over the past three months, the number of submissions with this problem remained high. This disease has considerable impact and that’s why in this edition we will discuss the current wave of outbreaks in more detail.

The identified reoviruses were characterized by mapping out an important gene (the σC gene). This allowed for the classification of the viruses into five so-called geno-groups. In the first half of 2023, viruses from geno-groups 1, 2 and 4 were found in particular. Viruses from these geno-groups had also already been found during earlier outbreaks in the 2019-2020 period. The increase of tenosynovitis is therefore not a single new strain which is suddenly spreading rapidly this year. Furthermore, infections were caused by different breeds, and no association between a certain virus genotype and breed was found. Therefore, it is not likely that there is a common source of the infections. Some virus isolates belong to the same genetic cluster (the large spheres in the figure). In those cases, there may be spread between farms, or a common source may be present. However, this only concerns a few strains and therefore does not explain the current current increase in detections of tenosynovitis. Read the article

In this Highlights report you can also find more information on:

• Brachyspira hyodysenteriae at a layer farm
• Animal health barometer for poultry

Highlights reports Poultry