Physiological, management and environmental triggers of the ascites syndrome: a review

In meat-type chickens, an inadequacy of vascular capacity for blood flow through the lung to provide the tissues with the oxygen needed for rapid growth is the primary cause of pulmonary hypertension-induced ascites. There are a variety of other factors that can trigger the ascites syndrome. These factors may cause increased blood flow because of a higher metabolic rate (cold, heat, certain nutrients, chemicals, etc.) or they may cause pulmonary hypertension-induced ascites in rapidly growing chickens because of greater resistance to blood flow in the lung by: (i) increased blood viscosity or red blood cell rigidity; or (ii) reduced vascular capacity in the lung. Some secondary factors, such as high sodium from salt in feed or water, may cause both increased flow and increased resistance to flow. Measures to reduce the ascites syndrome must address the primary genetic cause of insufficient vascular flow capacity in the lung and oxygen delivery to tissues, and the secondary factors that increase oxygen requirement, blood flow and the resistance to blood flow in the lung.