Observations on gastric lesions in broiler at slaughterhouse in Italy

A preliminary investigation about gastric lesions found at slaughterhouse in broilers was carried out. Material consisting of condemned gizzards from 3 slaughterhouses was used for histopathological evaluation. In all cases we found the association of fowl adenovirus with the gastric lesions and characteristics similar to those described in Japanese cases. Although limited, the results of this investigation suggest further studies to determine the epidemiological role and the possible economic impact of adenoviral gastritis on the European poultry industry