BACKGROUND: Avian influenza virus H9N2 subtype and Ornithobacteriumrhinotracheale (ORT) causes histopathological lesions in birds. Yet, thereis not any study on tissue lesions caused by these pathogens co-infection inspecific pathogen free (SPF) chicks. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this studywas to evaluate the type, severity and extent of histopathological lesionsinduced by co-infection of H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus and Ornithobacteriumrhinotracheale in SPF chickens. METHODS: Sixty, one-day-old SPFchicks were divided randomly into three groups of twenty. At 21 days, thechicks in the first group were infected with H9N2 subtype AI virus and thesecond group was inoculated with H9N2 subtype AI virus and ORT simultaneously.The third group was inoculated with PBS as control. Then, three birds from eachgroup were randomly selected and euthanized and autopsied at 2  till 16 days post-inoculation (DPI). Thetissue samples were collected from trachea, lungs, liver, spleen, thymus, kidneys,cecal tonsil and bursa of fabricius. They were cut into 5 to 6 μm thicknesssections using paraffin embedding method and were stained by Hematoxylin andEosin (H&E). RESULTS: The severity of histopathological lesions inthe second group was higher than first group. Tissue changes were not observedin control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed thatinfected chickens with H9N2 subtype AI virus and ORT simultaneously causeexacerbated histopathological lesions compared to H9N2 subtype of AI virus

Malaysia has experienced four waves of H5N1 outbreak but no humandeaths were recorded which is in 2004, 2006, 2007 and latest outbreak in 2017 at Kelantan. The objective of this paper is tocollect, analyse and summarise the data of HPAI cases from the outbreak from 1 March to 22 June 2017. A total of 1,634 cases, 8,544 samples were received at the Registration Unit and Virology Section, Regional Veterinary Laboratory in Kota Bharu (RVLKB) for diagnosis and surveillance of H5N1 during this period. The samples received were pooled organs and intestines from post-mortem (41 cases) and cloaca swabs in tryptose phosphate buffer from surveillance (1,593 cases), which were sent to RVL, Kota Bharu and Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh, Perak (VRI). They were processed and diagnosed using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT qPCR) technique to detect and subtyping of the virus. Total positive cases for H5N1 were 53 out of 1,634 with 18 diagnostic cases and 35 surveillance cases. All positive cases during outbreak were detected from 43 locations from six districts of Kota Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Puteh, Pasir Mas, Tumpat and Tanah Merah, with 19 locations in Kota Bharu which is thehighest affected by H5N1, seven locations in Bachok, four in Pasir Putih, six in PasirMas, six in Tumpat and one in Tanah Merah. Many factors could have led to the acute spread of the virus between the districts like chicken smuggling, legal and illegal poultry trade, migration of infected wild birds and others. Understanding the source of outbreak and how it spread is important to control, eradicate and prevent the spread of the disease as it is zoonotic and infects human.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by influenza virus A from the family Orthomyxoviridae. It is a severe, systemic disease with high mortality in avians. The mortality can be as high as 100% in a few days. On 28 February 2017, HPAI virus of H5N1 subtype was confirmed in village chickens at Kampung Pulau Tebu, Batu 5, Tunjong Kota Bharu, Kelantan. It wasthe second outbreak of HPAI in Kelantan after the first reported case at Tumpat Kelantan on 17 August 2004. Most of the dead poultry showed similar clinical signs of sudden death with high mortality, cyanosis and oedema of head, comb, wattle and snood as well as red discolouration of shanks and feet. Post-mortem was performed on dead poultry and there were generalised haemorrhages of all internal organs, congested mesenteric blood vessels andpinpoint haemorrhages on proventriculus. Histopathological examination revealed generalised pulmonary haemorrhages with moderate interstitial pneumonia, generalised hepatic haemorrhages and hepatitis with multifocal area of hepatic necrosis, generalised haemorrhagic myocarditis and generalised haemorrhagicnephritis. Confirmation test was performed using RT-PCR and viral isolation at Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh. 36 foci wereaffected involving five districts (Kota Bharu, Tumpat, Bachok, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah) causing depopulation of 56,953 poultryand 17,531 eggs. Surveillance and control measures were taken by Department of Veterinary Services to contain the disease from spreading to other areas.