Viral nucleoprotein localization and lesions of Newcastle disease in tissues of indigenous ducks

Abstract

Localization of Newcastle disease viral nucleoprotein and pathological lesions was evaluated in tissues of 55 indigenous ducks (45 experimentally infected and 10 sentinel ones). In addition, ten Newcastle disease infected chickens were used to ensure that the virus inoculum administered to the ducks produced the disease in chickens, the susceptible hosts. Ducks were killed on day 1, 4, 8 and 14 post-infection. Post-mortem examination was done with six tissues (liver, spleen, lung, caecal tonsils, kidneys and brain) being collected from each bird. The tissues were preserved in 10% neutral formalin for 24 h. They were then transferred to 70% ethanol for histology and immunohistochemical staining. Airsacculitis, necrotic splenic foci, congested intestines, lymphoid depleted caecal tonsils and focal infiltrations by mononuclear cells were the main pathological lesions in infected ducks. Over 28.9% of the infected ducks had Newcastle disease viral nucleoprotein in macrophage-like large mononuclear cells in the caecal tonsils and kidney tubular epithelium. The viral antigens were located in the cytoplasm and nucleolus of the cells. The other organs had no detectable viral antigens. This study shows that the kidneys and caecal tonsils are the likely predilection sites for the virus in ducks. They thus need to be considered as diagnostic indicators for the viral carriage in ducks.

Evaluation of histopathological changes, viral load and immune function of domestic geese infected with Newcastle disease virus

“…In general, the multisystemic distribution of NDV antigen was demonstrated by IHC staining and was abundant in the immune organs at 2 d.p.i. This showed that NDV could replicate during the early stage of infection, and the immunoassay demonstrated NDV antigens in macrophagelike mononuclear cells in areas infiltrated with many lymphocytic cells (Njagi et al, 2012). It is possible that these cells play a significant role in viral replication in geese.…”