Brain lesions in young broiler chickens naturally infected with a mesogenic strain of Newcastle disease virus

Abstract

SUMMARYThirty-nine 4-to 5-week-old broiler chickens from an outbreak of Newcastle disease (ND) in Japan were examined pathologically. The causative agent was identified as a mesogenic strain of ND virus. Predominant gross lesions included haemorrhage in the lungs, congestion of the trachea, splenomegaly, atrophy of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius, and whitish discolouration of the brain. Microscopically, there was mild haemorrhagic pneumonia, catarrhal tracheitis, lymphoid necrosis in the spleen, thymus, bursa of Fabricius and caecum and diffuse non-suppurative encephalitis. Lesions associated with encephalitis were characterized by multifocal perivascular cuffing, malacia, demyelination and proliferative vasculitis. Malacic lesions occurred in the hyperstriatum, neostriatum, subleptomeningeal and periventricular regions of the cerebrum, whereas demyelination was seen mainly in the brain stem. The morphological changes that occurred in the brain in these cases were distinctive and the lesions in the lymphoid tissues were related to concurrent infection with infectious bursal disease virus.

Isolation and Characterization of a Pathogenic Newcastle Disease Virus from a Natural Case in Indonesia

“…In this study, AIV coinfection was ruled out by testing the chicken and the propagated virus stock by using a rapid test and an HI test, respectively. A mixed infection with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) has been previously reported in a field ND case [4]. Co-infection of IBDV was also ruled out by direct RT-PCR using bursal RNA and IBDV-specific primers (data not shown).…”

“…, Nyoman Mantik ASTAWA 2) , Ketut Santhia Adhy PUTRA 3) , Yoshihiro HAYASHI 4) and Yasunobu MATSUMOTO 4) * 1) Pathology Laboratory and 2) The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an enveloped virus of paramyxoviridae with a negative-sense, single-stranded, nonsegmented RNA genome. NDVs cause the highly contagious and fatal Newcastle disease (ND) in almost all bird species.…”

Pathologic and Immunohistochemical Studies of Newcastle Disease (ND) in Broiler Chickens Vaccinated with ND: Severe Nonpurulent Encephalitis and Necrotizing Pancreatitis

“…Generally, histologic lesions of the central nervous system are found in the cerebellum, medulla, midbrain, and spinal cord but rarely found in the cerebrum. 1 However, Bhaiyat et al 2 reported that the lesions were most frequently observed in the cerebrum in the broilers naturally infected with ND. The lesions of the present case were seen in the medulla, cerebrum, and cerebellum in decreasing order of frequency.…”

“…Bhaiyat et al 2 reported nonpurulent encephalitis with malacia and pancreatic necrosis in the broilers naturally infected with mesogenic ND virus and IBD virus. The broilers had been vaccinated with ND vaccine.…”

“…1 However, there have been few reports on the formation of encephalomalacia and necrotizing pancreatitis in chickens affected with ND, except the report of Bhaiyat et al 2 concerning broilers infected with mesogenic ND virus and infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus. In their report, immunohistochemical investigation was unsuccessful.…”