Quail Bronchitis

¹ Department of Veterinary Science, Virginia Polytechnic institute, Blacksburg, Virginia

Quail bronchitis is an acute, contagious, respiratory disease of bobwhite quail. Tracheal rales, coughing, sneezing and mortality over 50 per cent is often observed in young infected birds. Quail bronchitis virus infects chickens and turkeys with no signs of disease. A similar agent, called chicken embryo lethal orphan virus. has been isolated from embryonating chicken eggs. Quail experimentally infected with chicken embryo lethal orphan virus have developed bronchitis. Airborne, mechanical and contact transmission of quail bronchitis virus is suspected. Diagnosis is based on signs, lesions of the respiratory system, and isolation and serological identification of the virus. No specific treatment is known. Additional research on this disease, both as it affects captive quail and the wild or released quail, is needed.