Novel Coronavirus Identified in Broiler Chickens with Severe Enteritis in France
Researchers in France have identified a previously unknown coronavirus, tentatively named ChECoV, associated with severe enteritis outbreaks in broiler chicken farms in southwestern France between late 2024 and 2025. The virus belongs to the genus Gammacoronavirus and is genetically distinct from known poultry coronaviruses such as infectious bronchitis virus, instead clustering closely with guinea fowl coronavirus. This is the first reported enteric coronavirus in chickens distinct from infectious bronchitis virus, raising questions about cross-species viral spread in poultry.
Between late 2024 and 2025, broiler chicken farms in southwestern France experienced severe enteritis outbreaks characterized by increased mortality, wet litter, cyanosis, lethargy, ruffled feathers, and high slaughter condemnation rates. Necropsy and histopathology confirmed diffuse enteritis and dehydration in affected birds. Metagenomic sequencing identified abundant coronavirus genetic material as the sole pathogenic viral signal, and whole-genome phylogenetic analysis placed the virus in a novel gammacoronavirus lineage closely related to guinea fowl coronavirus but distinct from both infectious bronchitis virus and turkey coronavirus. Viral RNA was confirmed in enterocytes using RNAscope in situ hybridization, and coronavirus-like particles were visualized by electron microscopy. The pathogen has been provisionally named Chicken Enteric Coronavirus (ChECoV). While the findings establish a clear association between ChECoV and the disease outbreaks, the mechanisms driving its apparent host-range expansion into chickens remain unknown. The discovery expands the known diversity of gammacoronaviruses affecting poultry and may have implications for flock health management and surveillance.
What's missing
The study does not report on the geographic spread of outbreaks beyond southwestern France, the total number of farms or birds affected, whether ChECoV has been detected in other poultry species in the same region, or whether experimental infection studies have confirmed causality (Koch's postulates). The reservoir or source of the virus and any potential transmission routes between farms also remain unaddressed.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
A novel coronavirus associated with enteritis in broiler chickens, France, 2025
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