Hepatitis splenomegaly syndrome, a new lyidentified hen viral disease in Russia

For the first time in Russia, the viral agent of hepatitis splenomegaly syndrome, a disease of laying hens from broilers’ parental flock, has been identified by the use of RT-PCR (reverse transcription — polymerase chain reaction). On a poultry farm a low laying ability and high death of sick birds were examined, and the dissection revealed the bloody liquid in abdominal cavity, the hepato- and splenomegaly, the hepatic subcapsular hematomas and a breakable consistence of the liver. The viruses that cause similar clinical symptoms (adenovirus, Marek’s disease virus, leucosis virus) were not found. The sequence analysis of DNA fragment of ORF2 capsid protein gene of isolated virus and subsequent comparison with analogous sequences from GenBank database (NCBI) confirmed the identity of the agent to hepatitis E virus. Amplicon sequencing showed 61.6-78.6 % homology to the sequences from GenBank for capsid protein ORF2 gene of hepatitis E virus.