Serum biochemistry and epidemiology of gout in broiler chicks.

摘要

Epidemiological details pertaining to gout, like age susceptibility and mortality, were collected from 40 different poultry farms in and around Bangalore, India [date not given]. Blood was also collected from 50 broiler chicks during exsanguination and 10 healthy chicks at 1-3 weeks old (control) for determination of uric acid and blood urea nitrogen levels. Postmortem examination was conducted on all chicks to confirm the presence of gout lesions. Results showed that chicks as young as 3 days may be susceptible to gout. The most susceptible age range was 7-14 days. Mortality due to gout among the 40 flocks studied varied from 2.04 to 25%, with an average of 8.85%. High levels of serum uric acid and blood urea nitrogen were observed in all 50 live broiler chicks that showed clinical signs and gross and histopathological lesions of gout. The mean urea acid levels in chicks with gout was 30.37+or-0.49 mg/dl, as compared to 5.72+or-0.36 mg/dl in normal healthy chicks. Mean BUN levels in chicks with gout reached 27.71+or-2.16 mg/dl, compared to 9.36+or-0.69 mg/dl in normal chicks. The study showed that estimation of blood uric acid and urea nitrogen levels may be used diagnostic markers for gout nephritis in broiler chicks.