Ranikhet Disease (RD) in Layers and Broilers – New Castle Disease (ND)

Clinical Signs & Symptoms

• High morbidity up to 100%, mortality in velogenic cases up to 100% , in mesogenic up to 50%

• Velogenic form – Nervous & enteric signs

• Mesogenic – Severe respiratory signs

• Lentogenic – mild respiratory signs

• Paralysis of wings & legs

• Arched position (opisthotonus)

• Torticollis

• Ataxia

• Circular movements

• Tremors/clonic spasms

• Bobbing-and-weaving movements of the head

• Dyspnea

• Loss of appetite

• Cyanosis of comb & wattles

• Huddling

• Depression

• Weakness & somnolence

• Crop dilatation

• Foamy mucus & fibrin exudate in pharynx

• Thick discharge from beak

• Lying down

• Increased respiration

• Yellow/Green diarrhoea

• Swelling on face

• Nervous signs

• Abnormal thirst

• Sudden production drop

• Soft shell-less eggs

PM findings

• No PM findings are characteristic in nature

• Hemorrhagic lesions in intestinal tract (prominent in proventriculus, small intestine & ceca).

• Pinpoint hemorrhages on tips of proventricular glands.

• Large hemorrhagic caecal tonsils

• Hemorrhagic lesions in intestinal walls (payer patches)

• Egg yolk in abdominal cavity

• Spleen shows necrosis, white spots of dead tissue (on outer & cut surfaces)

• Spleen becomes large and mottled

• Congestion of trachea with hemorrhages

• Airsacculitis (cloudy), thickened airsacs with mucus and cheesy mass

• Gross changes are not always present in respiratory system

• Conjunctivitis, blepheritis, corneal & lens opacities.

• Liver shows proliferation of kupffer cells with focal necrosis