MERCK MANUAL

Veterinary Manual
Veterinary / Poultry / Infectious Laryngotracheitis

Overview of Infectious
Laryngotracheitis in Poultry
By Maricarmen Garcia, PhD, Associate Professor, Poultry Diagnostic and
Research Center, Department of Population and Health, University of Georgia

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute, highly contagious, herpesvirus infection of

chickens and pheasants characterized by severe dyspnea, coughing, and rales. It can also be a
subacute disease with nasal and ocular discharge, tracheitis, conjunctivitis, and mild rales.
The disease is caused by Gallid herpesvirus I, commonly known as infectious
laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV). It has been reported from most areas of the USA in which
poultry are intensively reared, as well as from many other countries.

Clinical Findings:
In the acute form, gasping, coughing, rattling, and extension of the neck during inspiration
are seen 5–12 days after natural exposure. Reduced productivity is a varying factor in laying
flocks. Affected birds are anorectic and inactive. The mouth and beak may be bloodstained
from the tracheal exudate. Mortality varies but may reach 50% in adults and is usually due to
occlusion of the trachea by hemorrhage or exudate. Signs usually subside after ~2 wk,
although some birds may show signs for longer periods. Strains of low virulence produce
little or no mortality with mild respiratory signs and a slight decrease in egg production.

After recovery, birds remain carriers for life and become a source of infection for susceptible
birds. The latent virus can be reactivated under stressful conditions. Infection also may be
spread mechanically. Several epidemics have been traced to the transport of birds in
contaminated crates, and the practice of litter spread in pastures is believed to be related to
epidemics of the disease.

Diagnosis:
The acute disease is characterized by the presence of blood, mucus, yellow caseous exudates,
or a hollow caseous cast in the trachea. Microscopically, a desquamative, necrotizing
tracheitis is characteristic of acute disease. In the subacute form, punctiform hemorrhagic
areas in the trachea and larynx and mild conjunctivitis with lacrimation may be detected. A
rapid diagnosis can be achieved by detection of intranuclear inclusion bodies in the tracheal
epithelium early in the course of the disease; results of the microscopic examination can be
rapidly confirmed by detection of viral DNA using virus-specific PCR assays. Isolation and
identification of the virus is done in chicken embryos or tissue culture from embryo liver or
kidney cells or from kidney cells from adult chickens. Chicken embryos are preferred for
virus isolation. Chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos (9–12 days old) is
inoculated with the specimen. Microscopic examination of the chorioallantoic membrane
lesion shows intranuclear inclusions. On microscopic examination of the trachea,
intranuclear inclusion lesions produced by ILTV infection must be differentiated from the
diphtheritic form of fowlpox infection that produces intracytoplasmic inclusions.

Infectious laryngotracheitis, chicken

Courtesy of Dr. Jean Sander.

Field isolates and vaccine strains of ILTV are routinely differentiated by PCR amplification of
single or multiple ILTV genome areas, followed by sequencing of the PCR products and
comparative analysis of the sequences obtained. More recently, field isolates and vaccines
strains have been differentiated more accurately by full genome sequencing analysis.

Control:
In endemic areas and on farms where a specific diagnosis is made, the disease is controlled
by implementation of biosecurity measures and vaccination. Vaccination is done with live
attenuated vaccines and viral vector recombinant vaccines. Live vaccines originated from
virulent isolates that were attenuated by consecutive passages in embryos or tissue culture.
These are applied via eye drop or through mass vaccination by water or spray. Viral vector
recombinant vaccines in fowlpox and herpesvirus of turkeys have been designed to express
ILTV immunogenic proteins and are administered to individual birds by in ovo, SC, or wing-
web vaccination.

© 2018 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA