Abstract A 5-yr retrospective study was conducted to characterize the spectrum of diseases causing mortality in 1301 backyard chickens submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory in Davis, California. Infectious diseases were diagnosed in the majority (60.4%). Viral diseases comprised 50% of the infectious entities, followed by bacterial diseases with an incidence of 39%. Marek's disease in the viral group and Escherichia coli in the bacterial group were the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases.

Abstract A 5-yr retrospective study was conducted to characterize the spectrum of diseases causing mortality in 1301 backyard chickens submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory in Davis, California. Infectious diseases were diagnosed in the majority (60.4%). Viral diseases comprised 50% of the infectious entities, followed by bacterial diseases with an incidence of 39%. Marek's disease in the viral group and Escherichia coli in the bacterial group were the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases.

ABSTRACT The recent identification of nonprimate hepaciviruses in dogs and then in horses prompted us to look for pegiviruses (GB virus-like viruses) in these species. Although none were detected in canines, we found widespread natural infection of horses by a novel pegivirus. Unique genomic features and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the tentatively named equine pegivirus (EPgV) represents a novel species within the Pegivirus genus. We also determined that EPgV causes persistent viremia whereas its clinical significance is undetermined.

Abstract Sodium fluoroacetate is an organofluorine compound toxic to mammals, insects, and birds, currently registered for use only in livestock protection collars as a predacide in some North American states, with restricted use in California. A flock of 445 lambs and ewes in California were moved into a native pasture on a municipal refuse disposal site. Within 24 hours, 14 ewes were found dead, and the remaining sheep were moved off the site. Both ewes and lambs exhibited disoriented running, followed by apparent blindness, weakness, ataxia, coma, and death.