Focal duodenal necrosis in chickens: attempts to reproduce the disease experimentally and diagnostic considerations.

Abstract

Focal duodenal necrosis (FDN) is an intestinal disease of egg-layer chickens characterized by multifocal necrosis of the duodenal loop and proximal jejunum. Affected flocks usually have decreased egg weights and drops in egg production. Previous studies have associated this condition withinfection. We tried to reproduce FDN by experimental infection of egg-laying chickens using different-positive and-negativestrains, and duodenal homogenate obtained from FDN lesions. Chickens challenged withand/or duodenal homogenate developed duodenitis after challenge. Gross lesions included mucosal erosions, hyperemia, mucosal hemorrhages, and watery intestinal content. Microscopic lesions included mild enterocyte degeneration and necrosis, and mild-to-moderate hemorrhage and lymphoplasmacytic and heterophilic infiltration of the lamina propria. Two-positivestrains closely related to necrotic enteritis pathogenic strains, by genomic composition, were re-isolated from lesions. Necrosis of intestinal crypts was observed in chickens challenged with duodenal homogenate with or withoutcoinfection. Characteristic microscopic FDN lesions with significant necrosis and loss of villus enterocytes were not reproduced.