Surveillance and characterization of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from northern pintail (Anas acuta) in Japan during 2006-09

A total of 38 Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates were obtained from 6060 fecal samples from northern pintail (Anas acuta) ducks collected in the Tohoku district in Japan during 2006-09. One isolate from each sampling location and date was selected for a total of 38 isolates, then 15 of these were characterized for their pathogenicity by mean death time of minimum lethal dose (MDT/MLD) using chicken embryos and by plaque formation on chicken embryo fibroblasts. Furthermore, nine isolates were randomly selected from these 15 isolates, and the fusion protein genes were sequenced to characterize amino acid sequences around the cleavage site. All 15 were confirmed to be nonvirulent by MDT/MLD test, and nine isolates were also confirmed as nonvirulent by the cleavage site of the fusion protein 112G/E-K/R-Q-G/E-R*L117 that was specific for nonvirulent NDVs. The characteristics of nine isolates identified by phylogenic analysis of the fusion protein gene indicated that the isolates belong to genotype I or II. In addition, we also isolated 68 avian influenza viruses and 28 other hemagglutinating viruses. Our data indicate that northern pintails are subclinically infected by, perpetuate, and distribute NDV along with different subtypes of avian influenza viruses and other hemagglutinating viruses during their migrations across vast areas over the Northern Hemisphere to Japan.     

Characterization of a lentogenic Newcastle disease virus isolated from broiler chickens in Japan

Newcastle disease virus (NDV), named MET95, was isolated from a non-vaccinated broiler flock in Japan in 1995. The MET95 strain was determined to be a lentogenic NDV. The strain has the properties of eluting rapidly at 4 C and has low thermostability in hemagglutinating activity with chicken erythrocytes. In these studies, no difference could be found between the MET95 strain and the Hitcher B1 vaccine strain. However, the chickens inoculated with the MET95 strain, as well as chickens that they were in contact with, had a much higher hemagglutination-inhibition antibody response than those inoculated with the B1 strain. Accordingly, the MET95 strain is thought to be a promising candidate as a live ND vaccine strain. In Japan, this is the first report on the isolation of lentogenic NDV from chickens since the paper on the Ishii strain isolated in 1966.     

Characterization of Newcastle disease virus (avian paramyxovirus-1) isolated from pigeons

Newcastle disease virus (avian paramyxovirus-1) was isolated from pigeons in 12 states between May 1984 and December 1985. One of the isolates was from a feral pigeon; the remainder were from privately owned pigeon lofts. Use of monoclonal antibodies showed seven of the eight isolates tested to be indistinguishable from the 1982 and 1983 Great Britain and European isolates. Clinical signs were paralysis, torticollis, tremors, incoordination, and death. Pigeons inoculated with the paramyxovirus-1 isolates intravenously or intramuscularly developed clinical disease identical to that described for natural infection; however, only one pigeon inoculated intranasally developed clinical signs. The mean death time for inoculated pigeons was 9.5 days, with a range of 4 to 25. Virus was shed for up to 20 days. Primary lesions observed on necropsy were gastroenterocolitis and pancreatic necrosis. Chickens experimentally infected by the cloacal, intranasal, or caudal thoracic air-sac route remained healthy. However, the intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) in day-old chickens was similar to that observed with velogenic Newcastle disease virus isolates. Four of six isolates inoculated intravenously into 6-week-old chickens induced neurotropic disease.     

Characterization of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from field cases in Japan

Seven Newcastle disease viruses isolated in Japan from 1930 to 1984 were cloned on chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and characterized biologically. All seven produced two or more types of plaques on CEFs. The plaques were classified into four types. Plaque cloning was carried out five times, and 22 cloned viruses were established. The biological characters of the cloned viruses suggested that the strains contain different clones and that their clones are different even among close cases, such as G strain and H strain.     

Characterization of pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus isolated in China

Fourteen pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates were obtained from sick pigeons in China between 1996 and 2005. The mean death time (MDT) of embryonated eggs and the intracerebral pathogenicity indices (ICPI) were tested to determine the virulence of the field isolates. The result indicated that most isolates were proved to be mesogenic (MDT 60-90 hr and ICPI > 1.2). The main function regions of F protein gene of the isolates were amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic and residue substitutive analysis. The fusion protein cleavage site sequences of most isolates had multiple basic amino acids R/KRQKRF at positions 112-116 and a phenyl alanine at position 117, characteristic of velogenic isolates. In the phylogenetic tree, the majority of the isolates were clustered into a single genetic lineage, termed genotype VIb, and were typical pigeon paramyxovirus type 1, whereas a small number of recent isolates (three strains) were grouped into genotype VIId, a predominant genotype responsible for most Newcastle disease outbreaks in chickens and geese since the end of last century. One isolate, PK9901, was proved to be a lentogenic strain, of genotype II NDV, to which the vaccine strain La Sota belongs.     

Characterization of pigeon paramyxoviruses (Newcastle disease virus) isolated in South Africa from 2001 to 2006

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1), a variant of Newcastle disease virus that primarily affects doves and pigeons has been isolated in South Africa since the mid-1980s. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 viruses were introduced into South Africa on multiple occasions, based on the presence of two separate lineages, 4bi and 4bii, that have been circulating in Europe and the Far East since the early 1990s. During 2006, a PPMV-1 virus was isolated from an African ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) which became acutely infected with PPMV-1 and died, probably after scavenging off infected dove carcasses in the region, since a closely-related PPMV-1 strain was also isolated from doves collected nearby. The hornbill isolate had ICPI and MDT values characteristic of PPMV-1 strains. The threat of PPMV-1 to poultry production and biodiversity in southern Africa highlights the importance of monitoring the spread of this strain.     

Characterization of a velogenic Newcastle disease virus isolated from broilers in Saudi Arabia

A highly virulent Newcastle disease virus (SA84) was isolated from a large broiler operation in Saudi Arabia. The mean death time of chicken embryos given the minimum lethal dose, the pathogenicity of the isolate for 8-week-old chickens, the plaque characteristics, and the intracerebral pathogenicity index indicated that the isolate is of the viscerotropic velogenic pathotype.     

Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene of genotype VII Newcastle disease virus strains isolated in Japan

Recently, genotype VII of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has become the most prevalent NDV genotype in Asia. Here the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene of genotype VII NDV strains isolated in Japan was analyzed. Notably, point amino acid substitutions in the HN protein at position 347, which is located on the major linear epitope of the HN protein, were found in two strains. However, by a hemagglutination inhibition assay, major antigenic differences did not exist between the studied strains. Additionally, chickens vaccinated with the B1 strain did not exhibit clinical effects after challenge with variants possessing the substitution at position 347 (E to K), whereas all unvaccinated chickens subjected to this challenge died within 5 days.     

一株Class Ⅰ新城疫病毒中国分离株分子特性的研究

对从健康家鸭中分离到的一株Class I新城疫病毒分离株Duck/China/08-004/2008进行了遗传进化特性研究。利用RT-PCR扩增了该分离株F基因的主要功能区片段,并进行了克隆与序列分析。序列测定结果已经登录到GenBank,登录号为EU589149。该分离株F蛋白裂解位点的组成为112E-Q-Q-E-R-L117,具有典型新城疫弱毒株的分子特征。同源性分析表明其与国内普遍使用的弱毒疫苗株LaSota和V4核苷酸的同源性较低(分别为55.4%和57.7%)。通过构建F基因的遗传进化树,结果表明该分离株在分类地位上属于ClassI,与我国目前普遍使用的弱毒疫苗株LaSota(Class II中的基因II型)和V4(Class II中的基因I型)处在不同的进化分支。通过构建57株ClassI新城疫病毒的遗传进化树,表明本分离株与近年来香港活禽市场分离株较为类似,同属于基因3型。     

Surveillance of avian influenza viruses in Northern pintails (Anas acuta) in Tohoku District, Japan

Among winter migratory waterfowl, Northern pintails (Anas acuta), in one of the largest flocks in Tohoku district, northeast Japan, were surveyed for influenza A viruses at five wintering sites in three prefectures, viz., Aomori, Akita, and Miyagi. A total of 38 influenza A viruses were isolated from 2066 fecal samples collected during November 2006 through March 2007. The overall isolation rate was 1.84%. Eleven different subtypes were isolated, including nine H5N2, seven H6N8, seven H10N1, four H4N6, three H6N1, three H11N9, and one each of H1N1, H6N2, H6N5, H10N9, H11N1. Only the H4N6 subtype was detected during two successive months, November and December, from Lake Ogawara of Aomori prefecture. One wintering site, Lake Izunuma of Miyagi prefecture, was negative for virus isolation throughout the study period. During the sampling period, the highest virus isolation rate was in December (4.90%) followed by November (2.18%), January (0.91%), and February (0.30%). Virus isolation was negative for samples collected in March 2007. These results suggest that influenza viruses are introduced by Northern pintail when they migrate into Japan, but the viruses are not maintained in the flocks, most likely because the birds are not breeding during the winter. We believe that this relatively large data set creates a strong foundation for future studies of avian influenza virus (AIV) prevalence, evolution, and ecology in wintering sites, along with the role of Northern pintails in the spread of AIV during their migration from northern Russia and Asia to Japan.     

不同宿主源NDV毒株对SPF鸡致病性研究

为阐明不同宿主及不同基因型新城瘦病毒(NOV)对SPF鸡致病性,选择分离自鸡、番鸭、鹅、健康野鸟的基因VIId亚型NDV 6株,鸡源基因Ⅲ型和鸽源基因VIb型毒株各1株,以及基因Ⅸ型强毒F48E9,共9株NDV毒株进行致病性试验.在对各毒株的EID50及主要致病指数MDT、ICPI测定基础之上,以相同剂量感染15日龄SPF鸡,观察临床症状及剖检病变,计算发病率和死亡率,并在攻毒后不同时间采集主要组织样品.以SYBR Green I Real-time PCR检测病毒最早出现时间及病毒载量.结果表明,6株基因VIId亚型NDV毒株导致SPF鸡100%发病,死亡率90%以上,属于高致病性毒株;基因Ⅲ、VIb型毒株导致SPF鸡发病但不死亡,属于中等毒力毒株.VIId亚型毒株与F48E9株攻毒后SPF鸡在病理变化、组织嗜性及病毒载量上没有显著差异.根据毒株的MDT、ICPI指数及攻毒鸡病程综合判断,VIId亚型毒株在致病性上与F48E9株差异不显著.健康野鸟携带基因VIId亚型高致病性NDV,在NDV的自然生态传播过程中起重要作用,提示应该加强对野鸟的流行病学监测及相关研究.     

Survey for Newcastle disease virus in northern Queensland birds

Of 1,235 individual birds from 130 species tested for haemagglutinating virus and/or NDV antibody in far northern Queensland, none gave a positive response. On available evidence pittas and rainforest pigeons are considered the species most likely to bring virulent NDV into Australia followed by gulls and night herons which move between dense seabird breeding colonies and other avian communities. Both can easily be monitored by strategic sampling along migratory pathways or at breeding islands. Wild parrots, waterfowl and migratory waders appear to present a minimal threat.     

一株新城疫病毒广东分离株的遗传关系分析

根据新城疫病毒已报道的基因序列设计了一对引物,扩增F基因3 ′端374 bp片段,包括F基因信号肽序列和裂解位点.经过RT-PCR、PCR产物测序和序列分析,表明该毒株为基因Ⅶ型强毒株,和中国动物卫生与流行病学中心2009年分离到的毒株NDV09-038相似性最高,可达98％.基因进化树分析表明该毒株与常用疫苗株亲源关系较远,与I系疫苗株Mukteswar相似性为81.4％,与Herts' 33的相似性为84.5％.氨基酸序列分析表明该毒株为典型的强毒株.     

Primary feather follicle ablation in common pintails (Anas acuta acuta) and a white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata)

Eight 1-yr-old common pintails (Anas acuta acuta) and one 2-yr-old white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) were presented for the persistence of primary flight feathers 1 yr after pinioning. The birds were housed outdoors in an open enclosure necessitating flight prevention. The birds were placed under general anesthesia, and a diode laser was used to ablate the primary feather follicles of the previously pinioned wing. Swelling was the most common side effect seen in seven out of nine treated birds. Other side effects included ulceration, hyperemia, edema, and serosanguinous discharge. All side effects were resolved by 12 wk postprocedure. Laser feather follicle ablation was successful in 28 of 40 (70%) of the treated common pintail feathers, and flight was not observed 7 mo following the procedure in any of these birds. Feather follicle ablation was successful in two of six (33%) of the treated white-faced whistling duck feathers, and the bird in question was observed flying 5 mo after the procedure. Primary feather follicle ablation with a diode laser was a successful method of flight prevention in common pintails but was not effective for a white-faced whistling duck.     

Characterization of Nigerian strains of Newcastle disease virus

Newcastle disease virus was isolated from outbreaks of the disease in vaccinated and unvaccinated poultry flocks representing commercial and backyard farms in different parts of Nigeria. On characterization, all 12 isolates were found to be velogenic.