Year : 2012, Volume : 36, Issue : 1
First page : ( 60) Last page : ( 63)
Print ISSN : 0250-4758. Online ISSN : 0973-970X. Published online : 2012 June 1.

Etiopathology of leg weakness in broiler chickens due to joint diseases

Paul A.¹, Bhowmik M.K.¹, Patra N.C.^1,*

¹Department of Veterinary Pathology, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata-700 037

*Corresponding author: email: drncpatra@yahoo.co.in

Received:  22  January,  2012; Accepted:  12  March,  2012.

Abstract

Spontaneous leg weakness was observed in 2.37% broiler chickens of 3 to 6 weeks of age. Of these, infectious arthritis and tenosynovitis (0.77%), caused by coagulase - positive Staphylococcus aureus (23) and Escherichia coli (12) were identified and non-infectious arthritis (1.60%) causing leg weakness in chickens were confirmed based on microbiological and pathological studies. Synovial fluid (SF) of infected arthritic birds was yellowish and turbid appearance with varying amount of flocculent materials and clot formation, indicating exudative properties. Volume of SF was increased and mucinous precipitate quality was poor having small friable masses in turbid and yellow solution. Higher erythrocyte and leucocyte counts with increase of both heterophils and monocyte were observed in bacterial arthritic chickens. Pathological lesions of infectious arthritis and tenosynovitis consisted of degenerative or necrotic, chronic inflammatory and proliferative in nature. Joint lesions of articular gout featured foreign body granulomas with deposition of urate crystals. In chondrodystrophy, pathological lesions suggestive of abnormalities in epiphyseal growth plates of tibia and metatarsal bones were observed.

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Keywords

Broiler chickens, Leg weakness, Pathology, Synovial fluid.

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