Avian Disease Virus and Nutrition Relationships

COMPARATIVELY little is known of the utilization of nutrients in fowl during the stress of virus diseases. In studies on thiamine supplementation of chicks infected with avian encephalomyelitis, Cooperman et al. (1946) demonstrated that the degree of protection afforded depended upon the age of the chick and state of nutrition prior to and at the time of inoculation. Squibb et al. (1955) found that naturally occurring infections of Newcastle disease significantly depressed serum total proteins, vitamin A and carotenoids, and elevated serum ascorbic acid levels in New Hampshire chickens. The present paper concerns the effect of vitamin A supplementation on susceptible, immature White Leghorn cockerels inoculated with Newcastle disease virus. Data on growth, feed efficiency, water intake, clinical symptoms, body vitamin A reserves and mortality were observed in a series of four experiments. METHODS AND RESULTS Prior to the trials reported here, extensive preliminary studies were conducted for the purpose …