Malabsorption syndrome in chicken

Malabsorption syndrome, also known as runting-stunting disease, occurs in young chickens and leads to a delay in growth of the affected individuals and an overall reduced productivity of the chicken farm. The disease is associated with several different virus strains, but a single agent has not been identified. Healthy chickens can be infected with an inoculum of the intestinal content of a diseased individual.

The infected chickens develop enteric lesions, intestinal inflammation and dilation of the crypts. These changes lead to a reduction in the absorptive surface area, which in turn leads to decreased nutrient uptake and reduced grow.