Detection of infectious bursal disease virus in experimentally infected chickens by in situ hybridization

In situ hybridization was used in a pathogenesis study of three vaccine pathotypes (Delaware variant A, D78, and BursaVac) of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Tissues were excised (bursa, thymus, spleen, proventriculus, and cecal tonsils), fixed in formalin, and paraffin embedded at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 hr postinoculation (HPI). With an antisense VP2 gene probe, viral nucleic acid was detected in bursas from both D78- and BursaVac-infected chickens at 24, 48, 72, and 120 HPI. However, viral RNA was detected only in the Delaware variant A-infected birds at 72 HPI. Thymus and spleen were positive in the D78-infected birds at 48 HPI and in the BursaVac-inoculated group at 72 HPI. Viral nucleic acid was not present in detectable levels among any of the tissues tested at 12 HPI. However, by 24 hr, scattered positive lymphoid cells were visualized in the bursal follicles of chickens infected with D78 and BursaVac. In addition, low levels of viral nucleic acids were detected in the thymus and spleen among the D78- and BursaVac-infected birds. The sites of viral replication were consistent between the two vaccine-infected groups (D78 and BursaVac), whereas the chickens infected with Delaware variant A had limited IBDV replication in the bursa.     

Prevention of infectious bursal disease (IBD) by feeding IBD virus-immune bovine colostrum

Addition of 5% freeze-dried IBD virus (IBDV)-immune bovine colostrum to the diet of chickens prevented infection when housed in an IBDV-contaminated environment. Four of five chickens receiving 2.5%, and all chickens receiving 0.5% or no IBDV-immune colostrum were infected. No interference with development of an active immunity was found in chickens receiving 5% IBDV-immune colostrum in their diet and vaccinated intramuscularly with modified IBDV.     

Baculovirus virions displaying infectious bursal disease virus VP2 protein protect chickens against infectious bursal disease virus infection

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute and contagious viral infection of young chickens caused by IBD virus (IBDV). The VP2 protein of IBDV is the only antigen for inducing neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity in the natural host. In the current study, we have succeeded in construction of one recombinant baculovirus BacSC-VP2 expressing His6-tagged VP2 with the baculovirus envelope protein gp64 transmembrane domain (TM) and cytoplasmic domain (CTD). The His6-tagged recombinant VP2 was expressed and anchored on the plasma membrane of Sf-9 cells, as examined by western blot and confocal microscopy. Immunogold electron microscopy demonstrated that the VP2 protein of IBDV was successfully displayed on the viral surface. Vaccination of chickens with the VP2-pseudotyped baculovirus vaccine (BacSC-VP2) elicited significantly higher levels of VP2-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antibodies and neutralizing antibodies than the control groups. IBDV-specific proliferation of lymphocytes was observed in chickens immunized with the recombinant BacSC-VP2. An in vivo challenge study of the recombinant baculovirus BacSC-VP2 showed effective protection against a very virulent (vv) IBDV infection in chickens. In addition, mortality and gross and histopathological findings in the bursa demonstrated the efficacy of the vaccine in reducing virulence of the disease. These results indicate that the recombinant baculovirus BacSC-VP2 can be a potential vaccine against IBDV infections.     

Lysis of myelocytes in chickens infected with infectious bursal disease virus

In specific-pathogen-free chickens infected with the highly virulent HPS-2 strain or virulent reference GBF-1 strain of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), pathologic changes of the bone marrow were investigated. On histologic examination, bone marrow lesions were prominent in the HPS-2 group but only mild in the GBF-1 group. The bone marrow of the HPS-2 group showed severe lysis and depletion of heterophil myelocytes with pyknotic nuclear alteration 2-3 days after inoculation. On examination with an electron microscope, heterophil myelocytes were characterized by shrinkage of the cytoplasm and peripheral condensation of nuclear chromatin. IBDV particles were not detected in altered myelocytes. A terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling method demonstrated a positive reaction in only heterophil myelocytes. In contrast, nucleosomal DNA fragmentation in HPS-2-infected bone marrow cells was indiscernible by agarose gel electrophoresis. These findings indicate that lysis of bone marrow cells is selectively induced in heterophil myelocytes at an early stage after IBDV infection and independent of virus replication.     

Experimental cryptosporidiosis and infectious bursal disease virus infection of specific-pathogen-free chickens

Specific-pathogen-free chickens orally inoculated at 4 days of age with a moderately pathogenic vaccine strain of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) and/or at 5 days of age with Cryptosporidium baileyi oocysts remained free of overt clinical signs throughout a 16-day period postinoculation (PI). The prepatency period for C. baileyi oocyst shedding was shorter in chickens receiving higher numbers of oocysts, but once shedding was detected, there were no obvious differences in shedding patterns among groups receiving 10(3) through 10(6) oocysts. On days 8 and 16 PI, cryptosporidia were located primarily in the bursae of Fabricius. IBDV exposure was associated with bursal follicle atrophy, whereas C. baileyi infection resulted in bursal epithelial hypertrophy and hyperplasia, mild follicle atrophy, and heterophil infiltration of the bursal mucosa. Examination of experimental groups of 30 birds each indicated that concurrent infection with both agents resulted in more severe bursal lesions, more infected birds, and greater numbers of cryptosporidia in infected tissues. At the termination of the trial, 16 days PI, Cryptosporidium infection was associated with a 6% decrease in mean body weight compared with controls.     

Age resistance in chickens against infectious bursal disease

The day old broiler chickens possessing IBD precipitating maternal antibody when exposed either to IBD contaminated environment or challenged intrabursally with virulent virus at weekly intervals indicated 100% susceptibility around 4–5 weeks of age. However, chickens lacking maternal antibody upon intrabursal challenge were found susceptible by 2 weeks of age.     

Dexamethasone reduces infectious bursal disease mortality in chickens

Very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) causes high mortality in chickens but measures to reduce the mortality have not been explored. Chickens (8–9 weeks) were treated with 3 agents before and during vvIBDV inoculation. Dexamethasone treatment reduced the mortality of infected chickens (40.7% vs. 3.7%; p < 0.001), but treatment with aspirin or vitamin E plus selenium did not affect the mortality. The bursa of Fabricius appeared to have shrunk in both dead and surviving chickens (p < 0.01). The results indicate that dexamethasone can reduce mortality in vvIBDV-infected chickens and may provide therapeutic clues for saving individual birds infected by the virus.     

安徽省鸡传染性法氏囊病流行病学初步调查

应用RT-PCR诊断方法,对2003年9月~2005年3月间来自安徽省不同地方的52个鸡群,共154羽病/死鸡的法氏囊样品进行了检测。结果表明,传染性法氏囊病(IBD)在安徽各地普遍流行,所有检测病例的平均阳性率为40.91%。不同的日龄段平均阳性率差异极显著(P<0.01),其中30日龄以下阳性率最高(35/75),60日龄以上阳性率最低(0/16)。不同品种的鸡均可检测出IBDV,品种间阳性率差异显著(P<0.05),其中江淮麻鸡阳性率最高(25/45),土鸡阳性率最低(3/15)。不同地区的病例均检测出IBDV,但阳性率差异不显著(P>0.05),其中合肥地区阳性率最高(23/47),宣城地区阳性率最低(5/18)。     

Serological investigations of infectious bursal disease virus and reticuloendotheliosis virus infections in New Zealand chickens

Extract

Sir:- Between 1975 and 1981, sera were collected from 89 New Zealand chicken farms representing a variety of laying and meat birds of different ages from both primary breeders and commercial flocks. In some instances samples were collected from one or more flocks on a farm. In most cases between ten and 20 birds were sampled in a flock and the sera pooled to give a composite sample for testing.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎的防治

传染性喉气管炎(ILT)是由A型疱疹病毒引起的鸡的一种急性呼吸道传染病。1936年由Beaudette首次证明其病原是一种滤过性病毒。目前此病在许多国家广泛流行,是危害养鸡业的重要疾病,近几年来,在我国一些养鸡集中的地区,ILT引起产蛋鸡产蛋下降和鸡群的高死亡率,产蛋率一般下降10%～50%,死亡率一般在5%～70%之间,给养鸡业带来巨大经济损失,现将实践中对该病的诊断、治疗经验及防制要点总结如下。1流行特点鸡是ILT感染的主要自然宿主,各种日龄的鸡均可感染,以4～10月龄的成年鸡最为严重,对产蛋高峰期的鸡特别易感且危害大;从鸡品种来看,以褐…     

Immunogenicity of infectious bursal disease viruses in chickens.

Cross-protective properties of infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) were studied. Viruses represented different subtypes of serotype 1, including recently isolated viruses (variants), and a serotype 2 virus. Chickens were vaccinated at 3 weeks of age with inactivated vaccines containing 10(5), 10(6), 10(7), or 10(8) mean tissue-culture infectious dose of a given virus and challenged 2 weeks later using either 10(2) or 10(3.5) mean embryo infectious dose (EID50) of either a standard virus or a variant serotype 1 virus. Protection was evaluated at 5 and 10 days post-challenge, based on gross and microscopic lesions, body weight, and bursa/body-weight ratios. The serotype 2 virus did not confer protection on birds challenged with the serotype 1 viruses. Vaccines made of variant viruses at the low doses protected chickens challenged with the high or low doses of either the standard or the variant viruses. Vaccines made of the standard or variant strains at low doses protected against high or low challenge doses of the standard strain. Vaccines made of the high dose of any of the standard strains protected chickens against the variant virus when the low challenge dose (10(2) EID50) was used, but not when the high challenge dose (10(3.5) EID50) was used. The lowest dose of the standard viruses vaccines required to confer protection against the variant virus varied depending on the strain. Results indicated that protection depended on the strain and dose of both the vaccine and challenge viruses and that the variant strains and standard strains share a common protective antigen(s).     

Response of B congenic chickens to infection with infectious bursal disease virus.

Six congenic lines of chickens that differ from the parental inbred line RPRL-15I5 for genes in the major histocompatibility (B) complex were used to study the influence of the B haplotypes on the response of chickens to infection with virulent infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) at 1 day or 4 weeks of age, and on the antibody response to vaccination with live or inactivated oil-emulsion (OE) IBDV vaccines at 7 weeks of age. IBDV-induced immunodepression and lesions in the bursa, spleen, and thymus in chickens infected with virus at 1 day of age were of the same degree of severity, regardless of line of chickens used. The response of blood cells to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin-M and concanavalin A was elevated in chickens infected with IBDV at 1 day of age. In an experiment conducted to study the effect of the B haplotype on IBDV infection in 4-week-old chickens, B congenic line C-12 (B12B12) showed the highest susceptibility to clinical IBD, with mortality of 79%. No detectable difference in the serological response to vaccination with live or OE IBDV vaccines was noted among chickens of various congenic lines. We conclude that the B haplotypes may influence IBDV-induced mortality, but not immunodepression or severity of lesions in lymphoid organs, or the antibody response to live or OE IBDV vaccines.     

金丝桃素粉剂对人工感染传染性囊病病毒鸡的疗效试验

金丝桃素是从贯叶连翘中提取的一种极具抗病毒活性成分。为了研究金丝桃素粉剂对腔上囊的治疗效果,对20日龄雏鸡人工感染传染性囊病病毒(IBDV BC-6/85)后,以不同的剂量连续4d口服金丝桃素粉剂。通过观察腔上囊和肌肉的出血情况,以及病原分离,评价该药物对鸡传染性囊病的治疗效果。结果表明:以667.9mg/kg体重的金丝桃素粉剂连续口服给药4d,能有效的治疗传染性囊病,效果优于对照药物高免卵黄抗体。