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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #425228
Research Project: Systems Biology Approaches to Develop Medical Countermeasures to Detect, Prevent, and Control Poultry Production Viral Diseases

Location: Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research

Title: Running the guts: a retrospective analysis of cystic enteropathy in Alabama broilers

Author
item LOCKYEAR, OLIVIA - Auburn University
item Alvarez Narvaez, Sonsiray
item Conrad, Steven
item CARNACCINI, SILVA - Iowa State University
item HUBER, LAURA - Auburn University
item WALZ, HEATHER - Auburn University

Submitted to: Avian Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2026
Publication Date: 5/29/2026
Citation: Lockyear, O., Alvarez Narvaez, S., Conrad, S.J., Carnaccini, S., Huber, L., Walz, H. 2026. Running the guts: a retrospective analysis of cystic enteropathy in Alabama broilers. Avian Pathology. Pages 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/03079457.2026.2651255.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03079457.2026.2651255

Interpretive Summary: In farmed poultry, runting-stunting syndrome is characterized by poor weight gain, reduced feed conversion, watery diarrhea and other enteric symptoms. In this paper the authors establish that many cases of runting-stunting syndrome are associated with infections with avian reovirus, and that other poultry enteric pathogens (astrovirus, parvovirus, rotavirus) along with avian reovirus add to the probability that the afflicted animals will display cystic lesions of the gut (enteric tract).

Technical Abstract: Runting-stunting syndrome is an intestinal disease in young chickens often histologically characterized with cystic enteropathy. Molecular detections of avian reovirus, astrovirus, parvovirus, and rotavirus A were investigated for association with a histologic outcome of cystic enteropathy in 123 broiler submissions. Viral isolations of avian reovirus were whole genome sequenced to investigate genetic diversity of enteric reovirus isolates and relevance to S1133-like vaccines. Multiple viral detections were found to have a predictive effect on the outcome of cystic enteropathy—increased odds of 4.6 with an additional PCR detection. Avian reovirus was frequently identified and sequenced isolates grouped to multiple sigma C genotypes. These results suggest an additive effect of enteric viruses on the likelihood of cystic enteropathy.