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.     

Comparison of diagnostics techniques in an outbreak of infectious laryngotracheitis from meat chickens

Various diagnostics techniques were compared for their ability to detect infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) during an outbreak in chickens aged between 4 and 21 wk. Gross lesions ranged from excess mucus to accumulation of fibrinonecrotic exudate in the larynx and trachea. Syncytial cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies were found in sinus, conjunctiva, larynx, trachea, lung, and air sac. Virus isolation in chicken embryos was attempted in every case. Negative-stain electron microscopy detected herpesvirus in only 6% of the cases. Yet, isolation of ILT virus in the chorioallantoic membrane was presumed by histology in >20% of the samples and confirmed by fluorescent antibody (FA) in 35% of the embryos inoculated with conjunctivas or tracheas from affected birds. Overall, results from histology and FA tests were highly correlated. FA test has the advantage over histology of being diagnostically specific for ILT virus. Polymerase chain reaction was the most sensitive test and detected the viral DNA even in cases where histology and FA were negative. ILT virus DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Re-Ti ILTV). Histologic and FA results from larynx and trachea were negative if the concentration of the viral DNA was < or =4 of log10. A viral DNA concentration higher than log10 4, as determined by Re-Ti ILTV, was required for clinical ILT to be manifested.     

Epidemic of infectious laryngotracheitis in Italy: characterization of virus isolates by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analysis

Between May 2007 and October 2008, 34 outbreaks of mild to moderate forms of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) occurred in commercial broiler flocks in Italy. Affected birds showed watery eyes, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, reduction of feed and water consumption, and gasping with expectoration of blood-stained mucus. The mortality rate was < 10%. Gross lesions consisted of conjunctivitis, excess of mucus, blood, or presence of diphtheritic membranes in trachea. A real-time PCR assay was performed to confirm the presence of ILT virus (ILTV) DNA in tracheal tissue homogenates. Twenty-three ILTV isolates were propagated on the chorion-allantoic membrane of embryonated chicken eggs showing typical plaques. PCR combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism and gene sequencing of isolates showed a high genetic correlation between field strains and chicken embryo origin vaccines.     

Differences among restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprints of Pennsylvania field isolates, vaccine strains, and challenge strains of infectious laryngotracheitis virus.

Restriction endonuclease fingerprints of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA from 13 Pennsylvania field isolates, embryo-propagated and tissue-culture-propagated vaccine strains, and three reference strains were compared. These comparisons were made to evaluate the possible contribution of mutation of ILTV vaccine strains to recent outbreaks of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in Pennsylvania. Six different restriction enzymes were used to generate the fingerprints. Differences in DNA banding patterns were revealed between the currently used ILTV vaccine strains and six of the 13 field isolates. Even greater DNA banding pattern differences were found between the older ILTV reference strains and the vaccine strains. The ILTV DNA fingerprints generated in the present study suggest that at least five different strains of ILTV have contributed to the outbreaks of ILT that have occurred since 1987 in Pennsylvania.     

Efficacy of live virus vaccines against infectious laryngotracheitis assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism

The efficacy of four different commercial live vaccines (vaccines A, B, C, and D) against the infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) was assessed in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. SPF chickens were vaccinated intraocularly at 6 wk old with ILTV live vaccines and were challenged intratracheally with the N91B01 strain of virulent Korean ILTV 2 wk after vaccination. The immunity against ILTV live vaccines was assessed by the incidence of latent infection by the challenge virus in the chickens' tracheas and trigeminal ganglia, the reisolation rate of the challenge virus, and the clinical signs in the chickens challenged with the N91B01 strain of ILTV. The latent infection in chickens was assessed by nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Our data showed that the clinical signs and challenge virus isolation were negative in all chickens receiving four difference commercial ILTV live vaccines. The viral DNA of the vaccine strain, but not that of the challenge virus, was detected in chickens vaccinated with vaccine A by nested PCR-RFLP. The viral DNAs of both the vaccine and challenge strains were detected from chickens vaccinated with vaccines B, C, and D. This study showed that only vaccine A can protect chickens from latent infection with the field virulent ILTV. We speculate that the efficacy of infectious laryngotracheitis live vaccines to protect chickens from latent infection with virulent ILTVs can be assessed by nested PCR-RFLP analysis.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒TaqMan real-time PCR检测方法的建立

为建立鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)TaqMan Real-time PCR检测方法,本研究根据GenBank中登录的ILTV gB基因序列设计了2对引物与一条特异性TaqMan探针,通过对反应体系和反应条件的优化,特异性、敏感性以及重复性试验,证明该方法在核酸含量108拷贝/μL～101拷贝/μL范围内具有良好的线性关系;能够检测初始模板中10-3EID50的病毒核酸及16拷贝的标准品;与其它相关的鸡源病毒均无交叉反应,并且批内、批间变异系数均小于2%,具有良好的重复性。该检测方法的建立为ILTV的临床检测和定量分析提供了一种快速、准确的技术手段。     

Concurrent infection in chickens with fowlpox virus and infectious laryngotracheitis virus as detected by immunohistochemistry and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique

A concurrent infection of chickens with infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), a herpesvirus, and fowlpox virus (FWPV), an avipoxvirus, is described. Two techniques, an immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were used to examine 11 tissue samples from chickens clinically diagnosed as FWPV-infected, but only IHC was used to examine six tissue-paraffin blocks prepared from turkeys suspected of having FWPV infection. By multiplex PCR, both FWPV and ILTV were detected from three chicken samples (FI-90, FI-93, and FI-94); both FWPV and ILTV were detected from only two samples (FI-93 and FI-94) by IHC. All chicken samples were positive for FWPV by both PCR and IHC. Viral DNA from these samples was further confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. When turkey samples were analyzed by the double-stain IHC, all six samples showed the presence of FWPV antigens, but no ILTV antigens. The double IHC technique, using monoclonal antibodies against FWPV and ILTV, was successful in simultaneous demonstration of specific FWPV and ILTV antigens colocalized in infected tissue samples as well as within individual cells. This paper emphasizes the importance of reliable tests that detect specifically the presence of ILTV and FWPV in infected tissue samples. The multiplex PCR assay holds potential to be versatile, rapid, and more sensitive (100%) than IHC (67%) for the simultaneous detection of two different avian viruses. Furthermore, the presence of mixed infection should always be kept in mind in the virologic analysis of respiratory sickness of poultry.     

Expression of infectious laryngotracheitis virus glycoproteins in Escherichia coli and their application in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Three glycoproteins of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), gC, gE, and gp60, were expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with a 6-histidine tag at their amino termini. The proteins expressed, designated as r-gC, r-gp60, and r-gE, all retain their antigenicity, as revealed by Western blot with chicken antiserum against ILTV. However, only r-gp60 and r-gE, but not r-gC, were found to be soluble. The soluble r-gp60 and r-gE were purified by a nickel column and then used as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigen for detecting ILTV-specific antibodies. The diagnostic potential of r-gE and r-gp60 ELISA was assessed with the use of sera prepared from vaccinated or unvaccinated chickens of either specific-pathogen-free (SPF) or field origins. The result shows that r-gp60 and r-gE ELISA could discriminate vaccinated SPF chickens from unvaccinated ones 2 wk postvaccination. Moreover, r-gp60 and r-gE ELISA could also discriminate vaccinated field flocks from unvaccinated ones. This result indicates that r-gp60 and r-gE might serve as an alternative ELISA antigen for detecting ILTV-specific antibodies. Moreover, r-gp60 or r-gE ELISA might play an important role in the eradication of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in the future when the gp60- or gE-deleted marker vaccine of ILT is available.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒可视化LAMP快速诊断方法的建立和应用

试验旨在建立简易、快速、高效的鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(infectious laryngotracheitis virus,ILTV)检测和诊断方法。根据GenBank上公布的ILTV TK基因序列,设计检测ILTV的特异性环介导的等温扩增(loop media-ted isothermal amplification,LAMP)技术反应引物,通过对LAMP反应体系和反应条件的优化,以及特异性、敏感性和临床样品的检测,建立了ILTV LAMP检测方法。结果显示,以内引物ILT9-FIP和ILT9-BIP、外引物ILT9-F3和ILT9-B3、环引物ILT9-LB和ILT9-LF为LAMP反应引物,反应温度为66℃时,所建立的LAMP检测方法反应效率最高;所建立的LAMP检测方法能够特异性地检测ILTV(匈牙利株和王岗株),不与新城疫病毒(NDV,B株)、鸡传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV,H52株和H120株)、大肠杆菌、鸡副嗜血杆菌、巴氏杆菌等发生交叉反应,且能够检测到的病毒最低浓度达到0.06pg/μL,其灵敏度是普通PCR方法的100倍;采用建立LAMP方法对50个临床样本进行检测,阳性率为14%,且与PCR检测结果的符合率达96%。本研究建立了特异性强、灵敏度高、操作简单的LAMP检测方法,适用于临床上ILTV的快速检测和诊断。     

Analysis of infectious laryngotracheitis virus isolates from Ontario and New Brunswick by the polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify DNA of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) isolates obtained from field specimens. The examined 47 samples included 37 isolates representing 35 cases of infectious laryngotracheitis from Ontario and 10 isolates originating from 10 field cases in New Brunswick. The viruses were grown in either embryonated chicken eggs or cell culture, the DNA extracted and amplified using primers designed from the sequence information of a 1.1 kb BamHI fragment of the Ontario 1598 ILTV strain. Thirty-four of the Ontario isolates and all of the New Brunswick isolates were amplified successfully. This suggests that the selected primers would be useful for the majority of the isolates encountered in outbreaks of ILTV.     

宿主细胞粘附相关基因表达与鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒组织嗜性相关性的研究

为探究宿主细胞粘附相关基因与鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)感染组织嗜性的相关性,本研究采用ILTV特异性定量PCR方法检测了ILTV NP-3毒株感染雏鸡后ILTV在不同组织中的分布情况,并通过RT-qPCR方法在转录水平上检测了攻毒后不同组织中细胞粘附相关基因CDH11、NEGR1和VCAN的转录水平。结果显示,ILTV感染雏鸡后在喉头、气管、哈德氏腺及骨髓中病毒载量相对较高,而在法氏囊、脾脏、胸腺和肝脏中呈阴性。同时,ILTV感染显著促进了细胞粘附相关基因CDH11、NEGR1和VCAN在组织中的表达,且与ILTV在相应组织中的分布呈显著相关性(P<0.05),表明宿主细胞粘附活性对ILTV组织嗜性具有重要作用,具体机制有待进一步研究。本研究探索了ILTV感染组织嗜性与细胞粘附分子间的关系,以期为新型免疫制剂的研制奠定了基础。     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(江苏株)的分离与初步鉴定

本研究从江苏省某养鸡场采集临床疑似鸡传染性喉气管炎(infectious laryngotracheitis,ILT)的病鸡喉头气管,接种鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜分离病毒,命名为LJS091151。以分离毒人工感染SPF鸡,于攻毒后d3出现了ILT的典型临床症状,剖检亦可见喉头气管黏膜充血肿胀、消化道空虚、黏膜充血等病理变化。根据GenBank发表的鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(Infectiouslaryngotracheitis virus,ILT)gB、TK基因保守序列设计2对引物对分离株基因组DNA进行扩增和序列测定。序列分析表明,获得的核苷酸序列及其推导的氨基酸序列与GenBank发表的序列相似性均在99%以上,证明了分离株LJS091151为鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒。     

鸡传染性喉气管炎ELISA试剂盒的应用研究

通过对不同来源的鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)血清的检测,进行ELISA试剂盒检测ILTV抗体的应用研究,并与传统的琼脂扩散试验(AGP)方法进行了比较。研究结果表明该试剂盒具有较好的敏感性、特异性和重复性,与AGP方法相比,其敏感性大大提高。ILT诊断用ELISA试剂盒可以应用于养禽生产实践中。     

PCR扩增TK基因检测鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒的研究

根据已发表序列设计一对包含鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒（ILTV）TK基因全长核苷酸的1259bp引物，对2株ILTV强毒和1株ILTV疫苗毒进行PCR扩增，均能扩增出预期大小的目的片段，酶切分析证实了目的片段的特异性，而其它禽病原体的扩增均为阴性。PCR检测ILTV DNA的最小检测量为75pg。此方法检测人工接种鸡的气管棉拭样品，均能检测到ILTV，因此可用于临诊样品鸡传染性喉气管炎病的检测和诊断。     

Differentiation of infectious laryngotracheitis virus isolates by restriction fragment length polymorphic analysis of polymerase chain reaction products amplified from multiple genes

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) has been identified in most countries around the world and remains a threat to the intensive poultry industry. Outbreaks of mild to moderate forms of ILT are common in commercial layer flocks, while sporadic outbreaks of ILT in broiler flocks have also been recognized as an emerging problem in several countries. Examination of viral isolates using restriction fragment length polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP) from individual ILTV genes has suggested that some of these outbreaks were caused by vaccine strains. In this study, PCR-RFLP of a number of ILTV genes/genomic regions including gE, gG, TK, ICP4, ICP18.5, and open reading frame (ORF) B-TK was used to examine a number of historical and contemporary Australian ILTV isolates and vaccine strains. PCR-RFLP of gE using restriction endonuclease EaeI failed to distinguish between any of the isolates including the vaccine strains. PCR-RFLP of gG, TK, and ORFB-TK using restriction endonucleases MspI and FokI, respectively, divided all the isolates into two groups. PCR-RFLP of ICP18.5 and ICP4 using restriction endonuclease HaeIII separated the isolates into three different groups with some field isolates only able to be distinguished from vaccine strains by PCR-RFLP of ICP18.5. A combination of groupings including gG, TK, ICP4, ICP18.5, and ORFB-TK PCR-RFLP classified the ILTV isolates under investigation into five different groups with most isolates distinguishable from vaccine strains. Results from this study reveal that to achieve reliable identification of strains of ILTV, the examination of multiple gene regions will be required, and that most of the recent ILT outbreaks in Australia are not being caused by vaccine strains.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒的分离与鉴定

本试验采用自然感染患鸡的气管粘膜及分泌物为材料，以鸡胚接种分离出一株病毒ＣＬ９４．通过接种鸡胚的病变特点、回归本动物试验、琼脂免疫扩散试验、毒价测定、中和试验以及有机溶剂的敏感试验等证明ＣＬ９４株分离毒是鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒（ＩＬＴＶ）．为证实ＩＬＴＶ在安徽存在提供了可靠的依据。     

Molecular biology of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is an alphaherpesvirus that causes an economically important chicken disease, which results in delayed growth, reduced egg production, and also frequently in death of the animals. After acute infection of the upper respiratory tract, the virus can establish latency in the central nervous system, and subsequent reactivations can lead to infection of naive chickens. For prevention of ILT, conventionally attenuated live vaccines are available. However, these vaccine strains are genetically not characterized, and reversions to a virulent phenotype occur. Although molecular analyses of ILTV are hampered by the lack of an optimal cell culture system, the complete nucleotide sequence of the ILTV genome has recently been elucidated, and several ILTV recombinants lacking nonessential, but virulence determining genes have been constructed. Animal trials indicated that genetically engineered stable gene deletion mutants are safe alternatives to the current vaccine strains. Furthermore, since live ILTV vaccines are suitable for fast and inexpensive mass administration, they are promising as vectors for immunogenic proteins of other chicken pathogens. Thus, immunization with ILTV recombinants expressing avian influenza virus hemagglutinin was shown to protect chickens against ILT and fowl plague. Using monospecific antisera and monoclonal antibodies several virion proteins of ILTV have been identified and characterized. Since they include immunogenic envelope glycoproteins, these results can contribute to the improvement of virus diagnostics, and to the development of marker vaccines.     

应用PCR检测鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒

根据传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)TK基因序列，设计、合成1对引物，应用PCR技术对ILTV以色列疫苗株、河南分离株（ILTV-CG和ILTV-XY）进行PCR扩增，均能扩增出预期大小的目的片段，测序分析和酶切分析证实了PCR产物的特异性，而对其它禽病原体的扩增均为阴性。PCR检测ILTV DNA的最小检测量为21 pg。应用PCR检测人工接种后不同〖JP2〗天数采集的鸡的结膜拭子，接种后第2~5 d均能检测到ILTV。该方法可用于鸡传染性喉气管炎病的诊断和临诊样品检测。     

鸡传染性喉气管炎的分子诊断技术研究

为探索鸡传染性喉气管炎的分子诊断技术,本研究根据病原体的基因结构设计一对引物,而后用PCR方法从鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒的培养物中和临床可疑病鸡体内成功地扩增到1.4kb的DNA条带,分子量大小与预期结果一致。研究表明,用PCR方法诊断鸡传染性喉气管炎快速特异,可用于该病的确诊。     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒PCR诊断方法的建立与应用

根据GenBank登录的传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)的TK基因序列设计并合成1对特异性引物,以ILTV疫苗株DNA为模板,建立了检测ILTV TK基因的PCR方法。应用该方法能从临床分离毒株和疫苗株中扩增到长为427 bp的目的片段;但不能从新城疫病毒(NDV)、传染性法氏囊病毒(IBDV)、禽呼肠孤病毒(ARV)、减蛋综合征病毒(EDSV)、H9亚型禽流感病毒(H9-AIV)、传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV)、大肠杆菌以及金黄色葡萄球菌等病原中扩增出阳性条带;敏感性试验表明其DNA最小检出量为4.9 ng;应用该方法和病毒分离法对2份临床病例和人工感染鸡的检测,两者符合率为100%。上述结果表明该PCR方法具有良好的特异性和敏感性,可用于传染性喉气管炎病毒鉴定和临床诊断。