Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1 (GaHV-1) is a species of virus in the order ''

Herpesvirales ''Herpesvirales'' is an order of dsDNA viruses (Baltimore group I) with animal hosts, characterised by a common morphology consisting of an icosahedral capsid enclosed in a glycoprotein-containing lipid envelope. Common infections in humans cause ...

'', family ''

Herpesviridae ''Orthoherpesviridae'', previously named and more widely known as ''Herpesviridae'', is a large family of DNA viruses that cause infections and certain diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are commonly known as herp ...

'', subfamily ''

Alphaherpesvirinae ''Alphaherpesvirinae'' is a subfamily of viruses in the family ''Herpesviridae'', primarily distinguished by reproducing more quickly than other subfamilies in the ''Herpesviridae''. In animal virology the most important herpesviruses belong to ...

'', and genus ''

Iltovirus ''Iltovirus'' is a genus of viruses in the order ''Herpesvirales'', in the family ''Herpesviridae'', in the subfamily ''Alphaherpesvirinae''. Birds, galliform birds, psittacine birds, chickens, turkeys, and quail Quail is a collective na ...

''. Originally recognised in

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

s in the United States in 1926, this virus causes avian infectious laryngotracheitis (abbreviated as AILT, ILT, or LT), a potentially fatal, economically deleterious disease, widely recognised as one of the most contagious diseases in the poultry industry. The virus and its associated disease also occur in

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

Taxonomy

Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1 is classified in the genus ''Iltovirus''. There are two other herpesviruses that affect chickens:

Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 Marek's disease is a highly contagious viral neoplastic disease in chickens. It is named after József Marek, a Hungarian veterinarian who described it in 1907. Marek's disease is caused by an alphaherpesvirus commonly known as "Marek's disease ...

(cause of Marek's disease) and Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3. Both of these are in a separate genus to Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1; ''

Mardivirus ''Mardivirus'' is a genus of viruses in the order ''Herpesvirales'', in the family ''Herpesviridae'', in the subfamily ''Alphaherpesvirinae''. Chickens, turkeys, and quail serve as natural hosts. There are six species in this genus. Diseases ass ...

'', which is united with ''Iltovirus'' under the same subfamily; ''Alphaherpesvirinae''.

Pathology

Transmission

GaHV-1 is shed in respiratory secretions and transmitted by droplet inhalation or via

fomite A fomite () or fomes () is any inanimate object that, when contaminated with or exposed to infectious agents (such as pathogenic bacteria, viruses or fungi), can transfer disease to a new host. Transfer of pathogens by fomites A fomite is any ...

s. A previously unexposed flock will develop cases for two to eight weeks following introduction. The

incubation period Incubation period (also known as the latent period or latency period) is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism, a chemical, or ionizing radiation, radiation, and when symptoms and signs are first apparent. In a typical infect ...

is two to eight days.

Clinical signs and diagnosis

Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, head shaking, lethargy, discharge from the eyes and nostrils (sometimes bloody), and difficulty breathing. The name comes from the severe inflammation of the

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ (anatomy), organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal ...

and

trachea The trachea (: tracheae or tracheas), also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all animals' lungs. The trachea extends from ...

. A diphtheritic membrane may form in the trachea, causing obstruction. There may be problems in egg laying and the production of abnormal or thin-shelled eggs. Mortality is typically less than 15 percent.

Histopathology Histopathology (compound of three Greek words: 'tissue', 'suffering', and '' -logia'' 'study of') is the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease. Specifically, in clinical medicine, histopatholog ...

, PCR,

ELISA The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay is a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence of ...

immunofluorescent Immunofluorescence (IF) is a light microscopy-based technique that allows detection and localization of a wide variety of target biomolecules within a cell or tissue at a quantitative level. The technique utilizes the binding specificity of antib ...

staining, and viral isolation are all possible methods of diagnosis.

Treatment and control

A vaccine is available (

ATCvet The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System is a drug classification system that classifies the active ingredients of drugs according to the organ or system on which they act and their therapeutic, pharmacological and chemica ...

code: ), but it is susceptible to undesired recombination and it does not prevent latent infections. It can be used during an outbreak to decrease morbidity and deaths. A confirmed case will usually result in the establishment of a

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

zone around the farm. Inside this quarantine zone, poultry workers will avoid poultry farms to prevent the spread of the virus.

Biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

measures including quarantine, isolation, and

disinfection A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than ...

are very important in controlling the spread of an outbreak.

References

External links

Avian infectious laryngotracheitis
expert reviewed and published by

WikiVet WikiVet is a wiki of veterinary content based on the MediaWiki platform. The website is a collaborative initiative between various veterinary schools, and its content covers the entire veterinary curriculum. WikiVet is part of the WikiVet Educatio ...

, accessed 07/10/2011
Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): ''Herpesviridae''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallid alphaherpesvirus 1 Alphaherpesvirinae Bird diseases Poultry diseases Animal viral diseases