Etiological and histomorphological studies on enteritis in broiler chickens in Kashmir, India

Enteric disorders comprise the most important groups of diseases affecting poultry birds and continue to be a major cause of high economic losses in many areas throughout the world, causing increased mortality rates, decreased weight gain, and increased feed conversion rates. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pathological investigations of various diseases affecting the intestines of poultry in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. 3 024 broiler chickens from 100 outbreaks of enteritis were necropsied and examined for the presence of lesions corresponding to different disease conditions. Various diseases were diagnosed based on history, clinical signs, gross pathology, and isolation of specific pathogens from the affected birds’ organs. The study revealed 45.69 % of enteritis associated with various specific and nonspecific disease conditions. The highest prevalence was associated with mixed infections (12.4 %), followed by colibacillosis (10.78 %), coccidiosis (8.23 %), salmonellosis (7.8 %), New Castle disease (3.34 %), nonspecific causes (1.92 %), and necrotic enteritis (1.22 %). The intestines showed gross changes including congestion, thickened walls, mucosal hemorrhages, ballooning, and a velvety appearance of the mucosa. Microscopically the intestines showed mucosal sloughing and necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration, tunica muscularis thickening, and goblet cell hyperplasia.