Pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of inclusion body hepatitis in chickens
Release time:
Dec 21,2018
Chicken inclusion body hepatitis is an acute infectious disease of chickens caused by avian adenovirus, with a sudden increase in death of sick chickens, severe anemia, jaundice, major liver hemorrhage and necrosis, and visible inclusion bodies in the nucleus of liver cells. The disease is also called anemia syndrome.
The disease first occurred in the United States in 1951, and then spread in Europe and the United States, China also has the occurrence of the disease.
It is an infectious disease caused by chicken adenovirus, characterized by liver hemorrhage, severe anemia, jaundice, muscle hemorrhage and sudden increase in mortality, and the formation of intranuclear inclusions in liver cells.
Symptoms of inclusion body hepatitis in chickens
The incubation period of naturally infected chickens is 1-2 days, and no symptoms die at the initial stage. After 2-3 days, a few sick chickens are depressed, lethargy, discolored beards, yellow skin, subcutaneous bleeding, and occasional watery feces. The death peak is reached in 3-5 days, and the mortality rate reaches 10%. After 3-5 days, it gradually stops. Laying hens can appear egg drop. If chickens are contaminated by other sources of infection, such as "infectious bronchitis", "chronic respiratory disease", colibacillosis, salmonellosis, etc., the mortality rate can be increased to 30%.
The incubation period of this disease is generally not more than 4 days. The disease occurs rapidly in growing chickens, and dead chickens often appear suddenly. The sick chicken has fever, mental atrophy, reduced appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, disheveled feathers, and squatting with bent legs. A small number of sick chickens showed symptoms of jaundice. 4~10 weeks of age of young chickens, if in the feet paralysis, before death some issued a blare, and the head back back to the bow and other neurological symptoms, is often anemia and mental depression, the course of disease for 10~14 days.
When chickens less than 5 weeks old are infected, they usually recover completely by 8 weeks old. Morbidity can be as high as 100 per cent, while mortality ranges from 2 to 10 per cent, sometimes reaching 30 to 40 per cent. Infected with the disease 1, day-old chicks showed severe symptoms of anemia.
Previous article
More content
A
This 2026 authoritative guide from ANCHEE GROUP breaks down the core framework of accurate nutrition for eggs and poultry, citing latest industry research and real farm case data. It covers stage-specific nutrient formulas, cost optimization tips, common misconceptions and practical implementation steps to help poultry farmers and feed producers maximize return on investment without compromising egg quality.
A
This full guide built on ANCHEE GROUP’s 15+ years of poultry nutrition solution expertise (serving over 3,200 farms across 28 countries) breaks down all core rules of accurate nutrition for eggs and poultry, integrating 2026 latest field test data, peer-reviewed agricultural research, and real farm case insights. It delivers actionable workflows, reference tables and Q&A to help producers cut feeding cost and improve overall output efficiency.
A
This guide breaks down accurate nutrition for eggs and poultry combining ANCHEE GROUP’s 14 years of hands-on poultry farming experience, latest 2026 research and field test results. It covers stage-specific nutrient standards, error correction tactics, ROI calculation and targeted solutions for small family farms and large commercial breeding operations.
A
This 2026 guide from ANCHEE GROUP (en.anchee.com) covers all core dimensions of accurate nutrition for eggs and poultry, including stage-specific nutrient requirements, common feed formulation pitfalls, test-verified performance data, and actionable operational steps. It integrates latest industry research and 1000+ real farm case data to help poultry farmers and feed formulators maximize egg output and animal health without unnecessary extra cost.
A
This 2026 practical guide based on ANCHEE GROUP’s 12+ years of poultry farm operation experience breaks down core rules of accurate nutrition for eggs and poultry. It covers stage-specific nutrient demands, common formulation mistakes, and step-by-step implementation tips to help farms raise production efficiency by 27% on average per our 2026 field tracking data.
ANCHEE GROUP
TelPhone: 86-531-88771588
Fax: 86-531-88771898
E-mail: ac@anchee.com
Office address: Floor 25, Building 5, Lushang Guoao City, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province
