Campylobacter hepaticus in the Production Environment and Stagnant Water as a Potential Source of C. hepaticus Causing Spotty Liver Disease in Free-Range Laying Hens in Georgia, United States

Spotty liver disease (SLD) has emerged as an important cause of disease in egg-producing flocks in countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia and has emerged in the United States. The organisms implicated in SLD include Campylobacter hepaticus and, more recently, Campylobacter bilis. These organisms have been found to cause focal lesions on the livers of infected birds. Campylobacter hepaticus infection results in reduced egg production, decreased feed consumption resulting in reduced egg size, and increased mortality of highly valuable hens. In the fall of 2021, birds from two flocks (A and B) of organic pasture-raised laying hens were submitted to the Poultry Diagnostic Research Center at the University of Georgia with a history suspicious of SLD. Postmortem examination of Flock A found 5/6 hens had small multifocal lesions on the liver and were PCR positive for C. hepaticus from pooled swab analysis of samples of the liver and gall bladder. Necropsy of Flock B found 6/7 submitted birds had spotty liver lesions. In pooled bile swabs, 2/7 hens from Flock B were also PCR positive for C. hepaticus. A follow-up visit to Flock A was scheduled 5 days later, as well as a visit to a flock where SLD has not been reported (Flock C), which was used as a comparative control. Samples of the liver, spleen, cecal tonsil, ceca, blood, and gall bladder were collected from six hens per house. Additionally, feed, water nipples, and environmental water (stagnant water outside the house) were collected from the affected farm and the control farm. To detect the organism, all samples collected were subjected to direct plating on blood agar and enrichment in Preston broth with incubation under microaerophilic conditions. After multiple phases of bacterial culture purification from all samples, single bacterial cultures displaying characteristics of C. hepaticus were tested by PCR to confirm identity. From Flock A, liver, ceca, cecal tonsils, gall bladder, and environmental water were PCR positive for C. hepaticus. No positive samples were detected in Flock C. After another follow-up visit, 10 wk later, Flock A was PCR positive for C. hepaticus from gall bladder bile and feces and one environmental water sample displayed a weak positive reaction for C. hepaticus. Flock C was PCR negative for C. hepaticus. To gain more knowledge about C. hepaticus prevalence, a survey of 6 layer hens from 12 different layer hen flocks between the ages of 7 to 80 wk, raised in different housing systems, were tested for C. hepaticus. The 12 layer hen flocks were culture and PCR negative for C. hepaticus. Currently, there are no approved treatments for C. hepaticus and no vaccine is available. The results of this study suggest that C. hepaticus may be endemic in some areas of the United States, and free-range laying hens may be exposed from the environment/stagnant water in areas where they range.

Automated summary

Spotty liver disease (SLD) has become an important cause of disease in egg-producing flocks, with organisms such as Campylobacter hepaticus and Campylobacter bilis causing liver lesions and negative impacts on egg production and mortality of valuable hens.