ARS | Publication request: Neurological lesions in chickens experimentally infected with virulent Newcastle disease virus isolates

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 15, 2010
Publication Date: August 1, 2010
Citation: Ecco, R., Susta, L., Afonso, C.L., Miller, P.J., Brown, C.C. 2010. Neurological lesions in chickens experimentally infected with virulent Newcastle disease virus isolates [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association of Avian Pathologists annual meeting, July 31-August 04, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia. Paper #9393.

Technical Abstract: Neuropil reaction was evaluated in chickens inoculated with four different Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates, including Texas GB, Turkey North Dakota, Nevada Cormorant (velogenic neurotropic) and Anhinga (mesogenic). Tissues for this study included archived formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded brain (all four strains) and brain and spinal cord (two strains only). Encephalomyelitis was observed in all birds beginning at 5 days post-infection (dpi) with marked lesions occurring around 10 dpi. The gray matter of the brain, cerebellum and spinal cord had neuronal necrosis, neuronal phagocytosis, and clusters of cells with microglial morphology. Axonal degeneration was observed, especially in the medulla oblongata and spinal cord. In situ hybridization with riboprobes confirmed the presence of virus. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CD3 revealed that many of the inflammatory cells were T lymphocytes. Immunohistochemistry using an antibody for anti-glial fibrillar acid protein showed that many cells in this same area were astrocytes.