Vol. 10, Issue 6 (2021)

Author(s):
Jagmeet Kaur

Abstract:
Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute, highly contagious upper-respiratory infectious disease of chicken, which was first described in the USA in 1925. ILT is an important respiratory disease of chicken that affects poultry industry worldwide. The causative agent for Infectious Laryngotracheitis is a pneumotropic virus of the family Herpes viridae, genus Iltovirus. The main transmission routes are ocular and respiratory. The virus is shed in respiratory secretions, so easily transmitted by inhalation or mechanically transmitted by people and fomites. Chickens are the primary host for infectious laryngotracheitis. The disease is characterized by conjunctivitis, sinusitis, oculo-nasal discharge, respiratory distress, bloody mucus, swollen orbital sinuses, high morbidity, considerable mortality and decreased egg production in birds. gross lesions lesions such as catarrhal to hemorrhagic tracheitis, fibrinopurulent to caseous exudates or cheesy or caseous plugs in the larynx and trachea are seen. Microscopic changes in tracheal mucosa include the loss of goblet cell and infiltration of mucosa with inflammatory cells. The disease is diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, gross lesions, histopathology and molecular diagnostic tests.