Lymphoproliferative Disease

By: Wildlife Futures Team Date: Mar 11, 2021

Other names: LPDV

Cause

Lymphoproliferative Disease (LPDV), caused by a retrovirus, results in tumor formation in internal organs and the skin in several species of land fowl¹.

Significance

Known to occur in domestic turkeys in Europe and Israel since the 1970s, LPDV was first recognized in wild North American turkeys in 2009 in Arkansas².

LPDV is widespread in wild turkeys in North America but there is little evidence that the disease is having a negative impact at the population level. In addition, it currently does not appear to pose a serious threat to the domestic poultry industry¹.

Species Affected

LPDV is known to affect domestic chickens as well as both domestic and wild turkeys. In North America, however, LPDV appears to only cause infections in wild turkeys¹.

Distribution

Domestic fowl are affected by LPDV in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands and Israel. Recent research has shown that LPDV is endemic in the wild turkey population in the US³. It has been diagnosed in 18 states which encompass the area considered to be the natural distribution of wild turkeys.

Transmission

The disease is believed to be transmitted horizontally between birds that have had direct contact³.

Clinical Signs

In wild turkeys, LPDV causes the formation of tumors in internal organs which can result in disorientation, weakness, lethargy, starvation, and death. Scabby nodules on the skin of the legs and head also occur².

Mortality associated with LPDV in wild birds, though reported, is thought to be rare.

Diagnosis

Multiple tan nodules in the organs, enlarged spleen and liver, thickening of the intestinal wall, and pox-like skin nodules are suggestive of LPDV infection². Turkeys with this disease may also have concurrent infection with Avian Pox virus, though the relationship between these viruses is currently unclear¹.

Laboratory testing, specifically polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, is used to detect the virus in blood or tissue⁴.

Treatment

No treatment is available.

Management

Because turkeys are flocking birds, proximity is an important risk factor. Practices that bring birds together such as feeding will lead to the spread of the disease if the virus is present³.

References

MacDonald, A.M., Barta, J.R., McKay, M., Lair, S., Le Net, R., Baldwin, F., Pople, N. and Nemeth, N.M., 2019. Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus in Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) from Manitoba and Quebec, Canada. Avian diseases, 63(3), pp.506-510.
Allison, A.B., Keel, M.K., Philips, J.E., Cartoceti, A.N., Munk, B.A., Nemeth, N.M., Welsh, T.I., Thomas, J.M., Crum, J.M., Lichtenwalner, A.B. and Fadly, A.M., 2014. Avian oncogenesis induced by lymphoproliferative disease virus: a neglected or emerging retroviral pathogen? Virology, 450, pp.2-12.
Alger, K., Bunting, E., Schuler, K. and Whipps, C.M., 2017. Risk factors for and spatial distribution of lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in New York State, USA. Journal of wildlife diseases, 53(3), pp.499-508.
Alger, K., Bunting, E., Schuler, K., Jagne, J. and Whipps, C.M., 2015. Diagnosing lymphoproliferative disease virus in live wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) using whole blood. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 46(4), pp.806-814.