| Abstract: | One hundred and five fowl adenovirus (FAdV) strains were isolated in China from 2015 to 2016 from poultry with inclusion body hepatitis (IBH ) and hydropericardium syndrome (HPS ). Polymerase chain reactions determined that 68 were FA dV species C, five were FA dV species D, two were FA dV species E, and 30 contained two or more different FA dV strains. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolated FA dV strains clustered into three major groups: FA dV‐C, FA dV‐D and FA dV‐E. Based on a hexon gene sequencing analysis, these viruses were genetically related to FA dV‐4, FA dV‐7, FA dV‐8b and FA dV‐11, of which FA dV‐4 was dominant (93% of the strains). An epidemiological analysis showed that FA dVs had been circulating in broilers, domestic chickens, and layers, and co‐infections with other immunosuppressive pathogens, such as chicken infectious anaemia virus, Marek's disease virus and reticuloendotheliosis virus, were identified. To control FA dVs, strict biosecurity protection measures are necessary, and a continued surveillance of FA dVs is needed to increase our understanding of the epidemiology of the viruses that are associated with IBH and HPS . |
