Inclusion-Body Hepatitis in Day-Old Turkeys

Inclusion-body hepatitis was diagnosed in 1-day-old turkeys experiencing above-average mortality. At necropsy, turkeys appeared anemic and had pale yellow livers. Histopathologic examination of affected livers revealed diffuse hepatic degeneration and multifocal necrosis, with approximately 70% of the hepatocytes containing large, basophilic, intranuclear inclusion bodies. An adenovirus was isolated from affected livers and identified as a group I avian adenovirus by indirect immunofluorescence.