Breast muscle myopathies: twists and turns in modern broilers.

Although poultry meat production supports the livelihood and provides food security for billions of people worldwide, it is facing substantial challenges. The emergence of broiler breast myopathies (white striping, woody breast, spaghetti meat) at large scale is one of the most significant economic and welfare challenges that menace poultry production sustainability and for which there is no effective prevention yet, due to its unknown etiologies.Here, by inviting and gathering several experts with diverse, but complementary disciplines, the objective of the present review is to highlight the current progress and knowledge on these myopathies.

Pathogenesis of aquatic bird bornavirus 1 in turkeys of different age.

Aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV1), an orthobornavirus in the family Bornaviridae, displays a broad host range among avian species, including poultry. The pathogenesis of orthobornaviruses, at least in mammals and psittacines, appears to be mediated by the host immune response against the infected nervous tissue, with younger animals showing a milder disease due to immune tolerance. Here, we tested the ability of ABBV1 to infect domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), with a focus on evaluating the impact of age at infection.

Gaping conditions of the Pectoralis minor (tenders) in commercial broilers: Prevalence, histology, and gene expression.

Gaping is a recently described condition that affects the Pectoralis minor (tender) muscle of broiler chickens, characterized by post-mortem separation of myofiber that leads to meat depreciation and economic losses. In this study, we aimed at understanding prevalence, morphological features, and transcriptomics signatures of this poorly understood myopathy. Between July 2022 and January 2023, a total of 5,180 chicken tenders were collected from 32 flocks across two plants in the USA, handling light (2.

Feline respiratory disease complex: insights into the role of viral and bacterial co-infections.

Feline respiratory disease complex (FRDC) is a highly prevalent syndrome in cats that often result in fatal outcomes. FRDC etiology is complex, and often, multiple viral and bacterial pathogens are simultaneously associated with disease causation. There is limited information about the role of co-infections in pathogenesis and the current prevalence of pathogens in North America.

Transcriptomic Profiles of Muscles Affected by Spaghetti Meat and Woody Breast in Broiler Chickens.

Spaghetti meat (SM) and woody breast (WB) are breast muscle myopathies of broiler chickens, characterized by separation of myofibers and by fibrosis, respectively. This study sought to investigate the transcriptomic profiles of breast muscles affected by SM and WB. Targeted sampling was conducted on a flock to obtain 10 WB, 10 SM, and 10 Normal muscle samples from 37-day-old male chickens.

Experimental infection of aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV-1) in Canada geese (Branta canadensis).

Aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV-1) has a high prevalence of infection in certain North American populations of Canada geese (Branta canadensis), suggesting a possible role of these birds as an ABBV-1 reservoir. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of Canada geese to become experimentally infected with ABBV-1, develop lesions, and transmit the virus to conspecifics. One-week-old Canada geese (n, 65) were inoculated with ABBV-1 through the intramuscular (IM) or cloacal (CL) routes, with the control group receiving carrier only.

Experimental pathogenesis of aquatic bird bornavirus 1 in Pekin ducks.

Aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV-1) is a neurotropic virus that causes persistent infection in the nervous system of wild waterfowl. This study evaluated whether Pekin ducks, the most common waterfowl raised worldwide, are susceptible to ABBV-1 infection and associated disease. Groups of Pekin ducks were inoculated with ABBV-1 through the intracranial (IC; n, 32), intramuscular (IM; n, 30), and choanal (CH; n, 30) routes.

Effects of broiler chilling methods on the occurrence of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat and comparison of detection methods for PSE meat using traditional and Nix colorimeters.

The aims of this study were to i) estimate the occurrence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat in modern commercial Ontario broiler flocks, ii) determine the effects of the chilling method (water vs. air) on PSE meat, and iii) investigate a new inexpensive colorimeter (10% of the price of traditional color meters), the Nix Color Sensor, as an objective color measurement of chicken meat. Between June 2019 to March 2020, a total of 17 different broiler flocks were processed.

Characterization of dorsal recumbency syndrome associated with woody breast in broiler flocks from Ontario, Canada.

A dorsal recumbency syndrome (DRS) has been recently described in market-age broiler chickens. Affected broilers fall onto their backs, and are unable to right themselves, and eventually die of cardiopulmonary insufficiency. These broilers are referred to as turtle chickens.

Experimental infection of aquatic bird bornavirus in Muscovy ducks.

Aquatic bird bornavirus (ABBV-1), an avian bornavirus, has been reported in wild waterfowl from North America and Europe that presented with neurological signs and inflammation of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The potential of ABBV-1to infect and cause lesions in commercial waterfowl species is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of ABBV-1 to infect and cause disease in day-old Muscovy ducks (n = 174), selected as a representative domestic waterfowl.

Prevalence of breast muscle myopathies (spaghetti meat, woody breast, white striping) and associated risk factors in broiler chickens from Ontario Canada.

Spaghetti meat (SM), woody breast (WB), and white striping (WS) are myopathies that affect the pectoral muscle of fast-growing broiler chickens. The prevalence and possible risk factors of these myopathies have been reported in other countries, but not yet in Canada. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with these myopathies in a representative population of Canadian broilers.

Characteristics of broiler chicken breast myopathies (spaghetti meat, woody breast, white striping) in Ontario, Canada.

Spaghetti meat (SM), woody breast (WB), and white striping (WS) are myopathies affecting breast muscle of broiler chickens, and are characterized by a loss of myofibers and an increase in fibrous tissue. The conditions develop in intensive broiler chicken production systems, and cause poor meat process-ability and negative customer perception leading to monetary losses. The objectives of the present study were to describe the physical and histological characteristics of breast myopathies from commercial broiler chicken flocks in Ontario, Canada, and to assess the associations between the severity of myopathies with the physical and histological characteristics of the affected breast muscle fillets.