[Incidence of rotavirus in intensive-production poultry farms]

Rotavirus are the major etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in various species of mammals and birds. This study was aimed to explore the frequency of rotavirus in flocks of commercial laying hens and industrial broiler chicken. Feces and caecal content were sampled from 589 birds belonging to 17 farms located in the neighbourhood of Lujan National University. RNA patterns were explored by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Viral particles were found with moderate frequency throughout the period of study: 7.06% in 1987; 7.45% in 1988; 12.57% in 1989. This finding demonstrates the permanence of rotavirus infection in the farm under study and emphasizes the importance of routine rotavirus screening in industrial poultry farms.