Infectious tenosynovitis in broilers and broiler breeders in Egypt

Two infectious tenosynovitis-producing viruses were isolated from tendon sheaths and synovial fluids of 59 broilers and 15 broiler breeders obtained from different flocks in Egypt during June to October 1983. The viruses grew well on the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos, produced small localized white pock lesions with oedematous swellings at the inoculation sites and death of most of the embryos 72 to 96 hours post-inoculation. They also induced cytopathic effect in chicken embryo rough, Vero and MS cell lines. The viruses were neutralized by reovirus S1133 antiserum, both in tissue culture and on the chorioallantoic membrane. Inoculation of the viruses into 2-day-old broiler chicks via the foot pad, intramuscular and oral routes reproduced the disease with the development of characteristic clinical, pathological and serological responses. The infection was transmitted to in-contact control chicks. This is the first report of the disease and of the isolation and identification of the causative virus in Eqypt.     

应用PCR从AA肉种鸡鸡胚和1日龄雏鸡体内检测出CIAV和ALV-J

为了了解鸡传染性贫血病病毒（CIAV）和J亚群禽白血病病毒（ALV-J）对AA肉种鸡鸡胚和1日龄雏鸡的感染情况,试验直接从山东省3个不同AA肉种鸡场的鸡胚和1日龄雏鸡的肝、脾、肾、胸腺、骨髓、法氏囊等组织（器官）提取DNA,进行了PCR扩增及PCR产物的克隆和序列测定。结果显示,被检的3个肉种鸡场的鸡胚和1日龄雏鸡体内均有这2种病毒核酸的检出,其中CIAV的阳性率是20.42%,ALV-J的阳性率是15.83%,二者共感染的阳性率是6.25%;在阳性检出率中弱雏〉死胚〉健康雏〉正常胚。病毒核酸在各感染组织（器官）的含量也有所差异,CIAV以脾的含量最多,ALV-J以肾的含量最多。对肝进行细菌分离鉴定时发现,3个鸡场还存在大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和霉形体的混合感染。结果提示,在AA肉种鸡鸡胚和雏鸡体内存在CIAV、ALV-J的感染和二者的共感染以及继发性大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和霉形体的混合感染。     

Inclusion body hepatitis in broiler chickens in Iraq

Eighteen outbreaks of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) were identified in broiler chickens in Baghdad in 1977 and 1978. The disease was seen mainly in 4-to-6-week-old broiler chickens. The mortality rate did not exceed 1% in any outbreak investigated. The most common gross findings were stellate or punctiform hemorrhagic areas in markedly fatty livers. Noticed in many cases were enlarged and pale kidneys, hemorrhagic lesions in the skeletal muscles, and pale fattened bone marrow. Histological examination of tissues revealed fat droplets and intranuclear inclusion bodies in degenerated liver cells. Eosinophilic inclusion bodies were seen in all cases. Only five cases had basophilic inclusions along with the eosinophilic ones. The etiologic agent was isolated on chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of 12-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. The disease was produced experimentally in 4-week-old chicks using infected CAM suspension.     

Characterization of infectious laryngotracheitis viruses, antigenic comparison by kinetics of neutralization and immunization studies.

Five isolates of infectious laryngotracheitis virus were compared by pock formation on the chorioallantoic membrane of embryonated eggs, plaque size in chicken embryo kidney tissue culture, and antigenic relationship using reciprocal kinetics of neutralization. The A4557-5 strain of infectious laryngotracheitis virus, which causes mild respiratory disease, produced pocks with a zone of edema on the chorioallantoic membrane. A virulent virus (Virus 1), isolated from an outbreak of severe disease characterized by a diphtheritic laryngotracheitis, produced the largest plaques in chicken embryo kidney cell culture. Other virulent viruses (Viruses 2, 3 and V154) did not have unique growth characteristics when grown on the chorioallantoic membrane or in chicken embryo kidney cell culture. All viruses were closely related antigenically as shown by kinetics of neutralization but viruses 2 and 3 were not homogeneous with the other three viruses when neutralized by anti-V154 chicken serum. Following aerosol infection, chickens infected with the A4557-5 virus were immune to challenge with virulent V154 virus. However, in comparison to SA-2 virus, this virus was a less effective immunizing agent when administered by the vent or drinking water methods.     

Genomic identification and characterization of avian adenoviruses associated with inclusion body hepatitis.

Four pathogenic avian adenovirus isolates associated with inclusion body hepatitis and mortality in commercial broiler chicks and chickens were characterized and identified. These group I avian adenovirus isolates were classified as group E (serotypes 6, 7, 8, and 9) avian adenoviruses on the basis of the restriction enzyme patterns of their viral DNA. Isolate 3718 was neutralized by a serotype 6 reference avian adenovirus antiserum and isolates 8193, 8380, and 8565 were all neutralized by a serotype 8 reference avian adenovirus antiserum by virus neutralization assays. Infectivity and virulence such as mortality, hemorrhages, enlarged green livers with intranuclear inclusion bodies, stunting, intestinal sloughing, and poor feathering were observed in specific-pathogen-free chicken embryos and were identical for all four isolates when embryos were inoculated via the yolk sac and/or chorioallantoic membrane. Complete mortality was observed within 72 hr postinoculation in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens inoculated intramuscularly for all four avian adenovirus isolates.     

Avian infectious laryngo-tracheitis in Egypt. I. Epidemiology,virus isolation and identification

Serious outbreaks of haemorrhagic tracheitis in poultry induced by infectious laryngo-tracheitis virus (ILTV) have been recorded in Egypt for the first time. The disease occurred in different localities during late 1982 and early 1983. The associated drop in egg production ranged between 5% and 35% and there was a mortality rate which ranged from 0.05% to 19.8%. The causal virus was isolated on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of developing chicken embryos where it induced large yellowish-white pock lesions, 3–4 mm in diameter, by the fifth or sixth day post-inoculation. It was non-lethal to the inoculated embryos. It grew also with cytopathic effect (CPE) on the CER cell line. The CPE was characterized by syncytial formation and intranuclear inclusions. Chickens experimentally inoculated with the virus developed respiratory signs and 14 of 20 birds died with subsequent virus re-isolation. The isolated virus was unable to agglutinate chicken red cells and it was precipitated and partially neutralized by reference serum to ILTV. Viral antigen was detected by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique in tracheal smears obtained from naturally and experimentally infected birds. This is the first report of the isolation of ILTV in Egypt.     

Avian infectious laryngo-tracheitis in Egypt. I. Epidemiology, virus isolation and identification

Serious outbreaks of haemorrhagic tracheitis in poultry induced by infectious laryngo-tracheitis virus (ILTV) have been recorded in Egypt for the first time. The disease occurred in different localities during late 1982 and early 1983. The associated drop in egg production ranged between 5% and 35% and there was a mortality rate which ranged from 0.05% to 19.8%. The causal virus was isolated on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of developing chicken embryos where it induced large yellowish-white pock lesions, 3-4 mm in diameter, by the fifth or sixth day post-inoculation. It was non-lethal to the inoculated embryos. It grew also with cytopathic effect (CPE) on the CER cell line. The CPE was characterized by syncytial formation and intranuclear inclusions. Chickens experimentally inoculated with the virus developed respiratory signs and 14 of 20 birds died with subsequent virus re-isolation. The isolated virus was unable to agglutinate chicken red cells and it was precipitated and partially neutralized by reference serum to ILTV. Viral antigen was detected by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique in tracheal smears obtained from naturally and experimentally infected birds. This is the first report of the isolation of ILTV in Egypt.     

Serological surveillance reveals widespread influenza A H7 and H9 subtypes among chicken flocks in Egypt

Multiple avian influenza viruses’ subtypes are circulating worldwide possessing serious threat to human populations and considered key contributors to the emergence of human influenza pandemics. This study aimed to identify the potential existence of H7 and H9 avian influenza infections circulating among chicken flocks in Egypt. Serum samples were collected from chicken flocks that experienced respiratory distresses and/or variable mortality rates. H7 and H9 virus infections were screened by haemagglutination inhibition assay using chicken erythrocytes. Serum samples were collected from 9 broiler, 12 breeder and 18 layer flocks. Out of 1,225 examined sera, 417 (34 %) from 14 flocks and 605 (49.4 %) from 21 flocks were found positive for H7 and H9, respectively. Prevalence of both H7 and H9 antibodies were higher in layer followed by breeder then broiler flocks. Special consideration should be paid to control influenza viruses in Egypt, as pandemic influenza strains may develop unnoticed given the presence of subclinical infections, and the possibility of re-assortment with the prevailing endemic H5N1 virus strains in Egypt do exist.     

Clinical epidemiologic and experimental evidence for the transmission of Newcastle disease virus through eggs

Sporadic outbreaks of Newcastle disease (ND) occurred in Taiwan during 1998-2000. In some cases, the disease occurred in broilers less than 2 wk old that originated in a broiler breeder farm, so spread of the ND virus (NDV) from the infected breeder farm to broiler ranches was suspected. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possibility of the transmission of NDV through eggs. Both clinical and experimental evidence were used to prove that this is possible. From epidemiological investigation, the possibility of transmission through eggs was suggested in two separate ND cases from a breeder farm and its progeny because two identical NDVs were isolated from both cases. In order to clarify the possibility of the transmission through eggs, one mean egg lethal dose (ELD50) of NDV was inoculated into the allantoic cavity of 155 9-to-11-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken embryos. Seventy-one hatching chicks from the inoculated embryos were raised for 14 days. The cloacal swabs from those chicks at the ages of 1, 4, and 7 days and the tissues after necropsy at the ages of 14 days were taken for virus isolation. The same NDV was reisolated from three hatching chicks. This experiment confirms that a few chicken embryos infected in ovo with a low titer of NDV can hatch and contain NDV after hatching, which results in NDV spreading through eggs.     

THE ISOLATION OF LENTOGENIC STRAINS OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS IN AUSTRALIA

SUMMARY Twelve isolations of Newcastle disease virus were made from 77 clinical samples from chickens with conjunctivitis, respiratory disease, proventriculitis and bursal atrophy. Nine of the Isolations were made from chickens with conjunctivitis. The viruses were identified as Newcastle disease virus by inhibition of their haemagglutinins with specific antiserum to Newcastle disease virus. The viruses failed to kill chicken embryos after inoculation into the allantoic cavity and they were judged to be lentogenic strains. There was no evidence that the Newcastle disease viruses were responsible for any of the clinical conditions from which they were isolated. The presence of other agents in 10 of the samples was indicated by reduced production of haemagglutinin in allantoic fluids of infected embryos, by deaths of infected embryos, by the production of cytopathic changes in avian cell cultures and by electron microscopy. Three isolations of infectious bronchitis virus, 2 of avian adenovirus and one of avian reovirus were made. Other samples were suspected of containing infectious bronchitis virus and mycoplasmas, but these were not isolated. The Newcastle disease viruses failed to produce plaques in chicken embryo fibroblast cell cultures and they were separated from the contaminating agents by haemagglutination and elution followed by passage at terminal dilution in chick embryos. No Newcastle disease virus was isolated from 60 caecal tonsils and 60 lung samples from 9-week-old broiler chickens. Eight lung samples yielded mycoplasmas that caused haemadsorption in chicken cell cultures. The mycoplasmas were probably Mycoplasma gallisepticum.     

Partial characterization of an adenovirus-like virus isolated from broiler chickens with transmissible viral proventriculitis

Transmissible viral proventriculitis (TVP) was experimentally reproduced in specific-pathogen-free chickens using a homogenate of proventricular tissue obtained from TVP-affected commercial broiler chickens. Thin-section electron microscopy revealed intranuclear, approximately 70-nanometer (nm), adenovirus-like viruses (AdLV) within proventricular lesions. The AdLV, designated AdLV (R11/3), could not be propagated using various avian and mammalian cell cultures or by inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs by yolk, allantoic, or chorioallantoic membrane routes. However, AdLV (R11/3) was successfully propagated by amniotic inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs, with detection of the virus in proventriculi and intestinal contents of hatched 2-day-old chicks (8 days postinoculation). Virus propagation was evident in in ovo-inoculated chicks by (1) gross and microscopic lesions in proventriculi consistent with TVP, (2) immunohistochemical localization of AdLV (R11/3) antigens in proventricular epithelium, (3) thin-section electron microscopic detection of intranuclear, approximately 70-nm AdLVs within proventricular epithelium, and (4) negative-stain electron microscopic detection of extracellular, approximately 70-nm AdLVs in intestinal contents. Indirect immunofluorescence and polymerase chain reaction procedures that specifically recognize groups I, II, and III avian adenoviruses failed to recognize AdLV (R11/3). The findings suggest an etiologic role for AdLV (R11/3) in TVP and indicate that this virus is distinct from known avian adenoviruses.     

鸭源新城疫病毒的分离鉴定

从病死肉鸭肝脏中分离到2株病毒(ZH1、ZH2),均能够凝集鸡、肉鸭、绵羊、山羊、猪、人、兔、牛等的红细胞,且这种血凝性可被NDV标准阳性血清所抑制.参照NDV毒力判定标准及其方法对分离毒株ZH1、ZH2进行了鸡胚最小致死量平均死亡时间(MDT)、鸡胚半数感染量(EID50)以及1日龄鸡脑内接种致病指数(ICPI)测定,结果ZH1、ZH2株的MDT为52 h和44 h,EID50为106.4/0.1mL和108.64/0.1mL,ICPI为1.93和1.975.表明这2株分离病毒均为NDV强毒株.     

鸡胚及禽类细胞系在生物医药领域的应用及研究进展

鸡胚因发育过程清楚，长久以来作为基础和应用科学研究领域重要的实验模型，尤其在鸡胚发育早期绒毛尿囊膜阶段，因其血管丰富，是天然的免疫缺陷宿主，是病理学、药理学和肿瘤学等研究领域的理想实验模型。作者简述了发育早期的鸡胚组织结构，并介绍了鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜在肿瘤研究、血管生成、器官移植、烧伤等疾病机理研究中的应用，以及在鸡胚病理模型基础上进行的抗肿瘤药物筛选的应用。重点介绍了鸡胚及禽类细胞系在病毒繁殖和疫苗生产、治疗性蛋白和单抗生产方面的应用研究进展。多种人源病毒、禽源病毒、支原体等可在鸡胚及禽类细胞上增殖，并用于疫苗生产。作者对常用的禽类纤维原细胞和多能干细胞的发展和特点进行了阐述，并总结了商业化的禽类细胞系来源以及部分易感病毒。鸡胚表达系统能够在目的蛋白特定位点产生人源化糖基，减少目的蛋白对人的过敏反应，且禽蛋廉价易得，可作为生产人用单克隆抗体和治疗性蛋白的合适供体。作者介绍了鸡胚及禽类细胞系在生物医药领域应用的最新进展，并对鸡胚作为动物模型在未来的应用进行了展望。     

The Application and Research Progress of Chicken Embryo and Avian Cell Lines in Biomedicine

Chicken embryo has long been an important experimental model in basic and applied science because of its clear development process,especially in the early development of chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane stage,due to its abundant blood vessels,it is a natural immunodeficiency host and can be used as an ideal experimental model for pathology,pharmacology and oncology research.The authors briefly described the tissue structure of early stage of chicken embryo,the application of chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane model in tumor,angiogenesis,organ transplantation,burn and other diseases,and the application of anti-cancer drug screening based on the pathological model of chicken embryo.The advances in the application of chicken embryo and avian cell lines in virus reproduction,vaccine production,therapeutic protein production and monoclonal antibody production were reviewed.A variety of human viruses,avian viruses and mycoplasma can proliferate in chicken embryos and avian cell lines and be used in vaccine production.In this paper,the development and characteristics of commonly used avian fibroblasts and pluripotent stem cells were described,and the source of commercial avian cell lines and some susceptible viruses were summarized.Chicken embryo expression system can produce human glycosylates at specific sites of target proteins,reduce the allergic reaction of the target protein to human,and poultry eggs are cheap and easily available,so it can be used as a suitable donor for the production of human monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins.In this paper,the recent progress in the application of chicken embryos and avian cell lines in the field of biomedicine was introduced,and the future application of chicken embryos as animal models was forecasted.     

Immunologic effects of low levels of ochratoxin A in ovo: utilization of a chicken embryo model

Ochratoxin A (OA) was administered to 13-day-old chicken embryos via the chorioallantoic membrane. The 7-day LD50 value (day 20 incubation) of OA was calculated at 7.9 micrograms of OA. Ochratoxin-treated embryos (2.5 micrograms) had slight but significant changes in numbers of immunoglobulin-bearing cells in the bursa but not in the spleen. Chicks hatched from in ovo-treated eggs were challenged with 9 X 10(4) colony-forming units (CFU) of beta-hemolytic Escherichia coli (O1:K1) at 7 days of age via the thoracic air sac. Lesion scores of OA-treated chicks were equal to or less severe than those of controls. Hatchmates of the above chicks were vaccinated with a homologous killed E. coli bacterin (O1:K1) at both 2 and 4 weeks of age and challenged with 10(4) CFU of E. coli at 7 weeks. Post-challenge lesions were present in three vaccinated untreated controls and no OA-treated chicks. We conclude that although in ovo exposure to OA may marginally suppress immunoglobulin-bearing cells of bursa, chicks hatched from OA-treated eggs respond as well as controls to an antigen and resist infection by a virulent organism.     

Mild infectious laryngotracheitis in broilers in the southeast

During 2001, a mild infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) infection occurred in broiler flocks in the southeastern United States. Clinical signs included mild tracheitis, swollen sinuses, and conjunctivitis, with no increased mortality and minimal serologic response. Infrequent intranuclear inclusion bodies with or without syncytial cell formation were observed in eyelid, trachea, and larynx and in the chorioallantoic membrane of infected embryos. Immunohistochemistry and a nested infectious laryngotracheitis polymerase chain reaction (ILT PCR) were utilized to confirm the presence of ILTV nucleic acid in fixed tissues. In addition, 2-wk-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) birds inoculated with field material exhibited the mild signs observed in broilers in the field. Tracheal swabs and tissues taken from these SPF birds were also positive by nested ILT PCR. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of ILT PCR products indicated that ILT virus associated with mild respiratory disease in the southeast is related to the chicken embryo origin vaccine type strains.     

Morphogenesis of canary poxvirus and its entrance into inclusion bodies

A virus isolated from a natural outbreak of canarypox was replicated on the chorioallantoic membranes of chicken embryos, and its ultrastructure and development were observed. Electron microscopy of thin sections of pocks produced on the chorioallantoic membranes revealed a variety of developmental forms which appear similar to those demonstrated in studies of vaccinia, ie, viroplasm or viral factories; immature, undifferentiated virions partially enclosed by membranes; completely enclosed nondifferentiated spherical or oval virions; immature virions with discrete nucleoids; and the more compact brick-shaped mature virions. Two types of A-type inclusions were noted: those with virions around the periphery, and those filled with virus particles. The appearance of mature viruses within the inclusion bodies and different stages of viruses outside the inclusion indicate that in a course of development, maturing poxvirus may enter the inclusion bodies as they acquire surface tubules on their envelopes. Mature virions also were seen budding out of the cell membrane, apparently enveloped in a portion of the membrane. Studies showing the entrance of poxvirus into inclusion bodies have not been reported. In this report, electron micrographs are shown of viruses entering inclusion bodies.     

An outbreak of disease due to chicken anaemia agent in broiler chickens in England

Outbreaks of clinical chicken anaemia in four broiler chicken flocks affected chicks which were all the progeny of the same parent flock. Three of the flocks were reared on farms in the south-east of England and in these flocks clinical disease did not occur in other chicks of the same age. The fourth flock was reared in a positive-pressure isolator and clinical disease appeared at 10 days of age. Chicken anaemia agent was isolated from three of the flocks. The clinical signs, post mortem lesions and histopathological changes were similar to those reported in outbreaks of the disease in other countries. The parent flock seroconverted to chicken anaemia agent, as determined by fluorescent antibody tests, during the course of the outbreaks.     

Comparisons of packed cell volumes (PCVs) from so-called chicken anemia agent (CAA; a virus)-free broilers to PCVs from CAA-free specific-pathogen-free leghorns.

Packed cell volumes (PCVs) from 3-, 7-, 14-, 21-, 28-, and 35-day-old clinically healthy chicken anemia agent (CAA)-free and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) leghorn chicks were compared with PCVs from age-matched clinically healthy CAA-free broiler chicks. The PCVs of the SPF chicks regressed significantly (F = 20.6, df = 2/3, P < 0.025) on age in a linear fashion. The PCVs of the broiler chicks regressed significantly (F = 9.56, df = 2/3, P < 0.05) on age in a cubic parabola. The mean PCVs of the broiler chicks were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than PCVs of SPF chicks at every tested time interval. Results indicate that PCV values are higher in broiler chicks than in SPF leghorn chicks, and that PCVs increase as chicks age. Clinicians, diagnosticians, and investigators who intend to work with chicken blood must be aware of these differences.     

三种中药提取物添加剂对肉鸡抗病性影响的研究

为了研究黄芩提取物(A,含黄芩苷85%)、金银花提取物(B,含绿原酸75%)、中草药C提取物(C,含C苷50%)组成的复方添加剂对肉鸡抗病性的影响。采用正交试验研究了提取物A+B+C复方添加剂的最佳配比。采用牛津杯法和试管二倍稀释法测定添加剂各组分及复方的最小抑菌浓度(MIC),采用动物感染模型研究提取物A+B+C复方添加剂及各组分的体内抗菌作用。通过自然感染病例研究提取物复方添加剂的抗病性作用;采用ELISA法测定肉鸡血清中的IgG抗体的含量。提取物A、B、C按A2B3C2(A 9mg/mL,B 0.03mg/mL,C 50mg/mL)比例配合时,体外抗菌作用最好;提取物A+B+C复方添加剂具有较好的抗金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠埃希菌作用;可显著降低肉鸡腹水症的发生率,极显著提高病鸡的治愈率和降低病鸡病死率;可显著提高鸡血清IgG的含量。提取物A+B+C复方添加剂对肉鸡的抗病性有显著提高作用。