Pathological changes of tracheal mucosa in chickens infected with lentogenic Newcastle disease virus

Forty-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were exposed by aerosol to lentogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and observed for 24 days for pathological changes in the tracheal mucociliary system. Specific fluorescence of NDV antigen was observed through day 5 postexposure (PE) in the cytoplasm of the tracheal epithelium and desquamated epithelium in the lumen. On day 1 PE, scanning electron microscopy revealed hypertrophy of goblet cells and small patches of the deciliated epithelium scattered mainly around the openings of mucous glands. The deciliated area of tracheal surface increased through day 4 PE. Light microscopy showed small vacuoles containing lymphocytes and heterophils in the epithelial layer. Immature epithelium proliferated in some areas. On days 5 and 6 PE, ciliated areas of the trachea tended to increase as a result of regeneration of the epithelium, still leaving many nonciliated patches of various sizes. On and after day 8 PE, there remained plaques with nonciliated flat epithelium, but most areas were covered with well-ciliated epithelium. Non-ciliated plaques were observed until day 24 PE, but they gradually decreased in size. These plaques were covered by a single layer of flat epithelium and were formed upon lymph follicles in subepithelial tissue.