Presumptive diagnosis of Avian encephalomyelitis in Japanese quail in Ibadan, Nigeria

A report of Avian encephalomyelitis outbreak in two flocks of adult Japanese quail is presented. High mortalities, tremor, ataxia and lateral recumbency were the prominent clinical signs observed. Absence of gross pathology and microscopic lesions of gliosis, neuronal degeneration, meningitis, congested blood vessel with perivascular cuffing, suggestive of acute to subacute encephalitis gave a presumptive diagnosis of Avian encephalomyelitis. However, this outbreak in adult birds, being the first in Japanese quail in Nigeria, is at variance with previous reports on the disease occurring in young flocks. It is believed that the relative small body size of the Japanese quail is a contributory factor to their susceptibility even as adult birds. Routine vaccination is therefore recommended. Keywords : Avian Encephalomyelitis, Japanese quail, Clinical signs, Pathology, Nigeria.