IPSF: Chlorine as a treatment for spotty liver disease?
C. hepaticus causes spotty liver disease in table egg layers
26 March 2025
2 minute read
By: Spotty liver disease has emerged as an important cause of disease in table egg layers in many parts of the world. In the United States, it has been detected in the Midwestern and Southern states. Campylobacter hepaticus has been reported as the causative organism of spotty liver disease resulting in multifocal lesions on the livers of infected birds, reduced egg production, reduced egg size, and increased mortality of highly valuable hens.
Currently, there are no approved treatments and no commercial vaccines available for C. hepaticus, and research on effective control strategies for the control of this pathogen in organic or antibiotic-free laying hens remains limited, said Roel Becerra and Catherine Logue, University of Georgia, United States, during the 2025 International Poultry Scientific Forum.
Case study
A case report on a spotty liver disease outbreak in two flocks in southern Georgia highlights the limitations of using chlorine to combat the disease. The affected farm had two houses of free range and antibiotic-free brown layers.
House 1, at 40 weeks of age reported a 5% increase in mortality and a 5% decrease in egg production. During the field visit, multiple birds looked lethargic and had high body temperatures. Necropsy performed on 31 birds showed gross spotty liver lesions in all of them. Bacteriological analysis of bile from infected birds showed characteristic colonies of C. hepaticus which were further confirmed by PCR. Histopathological analysis showed pericholangitis, hepatocyte necrosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. The affected flock was treated with 10 ppm chlorine in the drinking water for two weeks.
House 2 in the same complex was also treated with 10 ppm chlorine in the drinking water for two weeks even though that house was not affected during that time. However, six weeks later, house 2 presented a 12% drop in egg production and 1% increase in mortality due to C. hepaticus confirmed by gross spotty liver lesions, bacteriology, PCR, and histopathology.
Results suggest that using chlorine in the water to treat infected flocks with spotty liver disease may help to reduce mortality but does not appear to eliminate the infection. Since there are limited effective treatments and no commercial vaccines currently available for C. hepaticus, further research is necessary to determine the most effective treatment and prevention strategies for spotty liver disease in laying hens.
