INFECTION STUDIES ON A RETICULOENDOTHELIOSIS VIRUS CONTAMINANT OF A COMMERCIAL MAREK''S DISEASE VACCINE

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) was isolated in cell cultures from commercial Marek's disease (herpesvirus of turkeys) vaccine and re-isolated from the organs of vaccinated chickens. Runting and feathering abnormalities were produced when 1-day-old specific pathogen free chickens were inoculated with REV. Histopathological lesions in infected chickens were hypoplasia of the thymus, bursa and spleen, and inflammation of the proventriculus, kidneys and liver. Serological responses to REV were detected by the indirect immunoflorescence test in chickens directly inoculated with contaminated vaccine, and spread of REV infection to in-contact chickens was demonstrated by histopathological and serological investigations.     

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.     

硒增强鸡对马立克氏病抵抗力的作用及其机理的研究

１日龄雏鸡２００只，根据１日龄是否用ＨＶＴ冻干苗免疫和基础日粮中是否添加硒的两因子两水平随机均分成４组；在１０日龄各组接种ＭＤ强毒，７０日龄全部扑杀。试验结果表明，各组雏鸡的ＭＤ死亡集中在２１～４４日龄，死亡高峰在３０～３６日龄的一周内，在ＭＤ的发病过程中，动物机体清除氧自由基的能力下降，机体细胞受自由基的攻击程度加重；硒能显著减少ＭＤ的发病率和死亡率；给雏鸡补硒能增强机体清除氧自由基和不饱和过氧化物的能力，减少机体细胞受自由基的攻击程度。作者认为，硒具有增强鸡对ＭＤ抵抗力的作用，硒具有间接和直接清除自由基的能力是增强这种抵抗作用的机理之一。