Pathobiology and transmission of highly and low pathogenic avian influenza viruses in european quail (coturnix c. Coturnix)

Autor: Busquets, HÖfle, Ursula, Dolz, Abad, F.x., Vergara Alert, J., MayÓ, ChÁves, A., Ramis, A., Bertran, Gamino Rodriguez, Virginia
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: RUIdeRA: Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
instname
Popis: European quail may share with Japanese quail its potential as intermediate host and spreader of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). To elucidate the epidemiological role of the European quail (Coturnix c. coturnix) in the ecology of AI, an experimental infection with different avian influenza viruses (AIVs) was carried out. Quails were intranasally infected with two highly pathogenic AIVs (HPAIV) (H7N1/HP and H5N1/HP), as a comparative study between H7 and H5 subtypes, and one low pathogenic AIV (LPAIV) (H7N2/LP). Contact animals were also used to assess the viral transmission between birds. Clinical signs were daily recorded daily, and oral and cloacal swabs, and feather pulps were obtained to determine viral shedding by real time RT-PCR (RRT-PCR). In addition, water samples were also tested to evaluate the role of drinking water within the viral transmission. Birds of each infected group were euthanized at different days post-infection (dpi), and histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were performed. Severe neurological signs and high mortality rates were observed in both HPAIV groups. Presence of viral antigen and microscopic lesions in tissues like brain, heart and pancreas, was observed in both HPAIV infected groups, although H5N1/HP presented a broader distribution and extent of lesions and antigen. Neither clinical signs nor histopathological findings were observed in LPAIV infected quails. Significant and long-term viral shedding, especially oral but also cloacal, was confirmed by RRT-PCR in all infected groups. Drinking water was shown it to be a possible transmission route, and feathers came outwere determined as an important location for viral replication and potential origin of dissemination of HPAIVs. The present study demonstrates that European quails could play a major role in the AI epidemiology, not only for because of their high susceptibility to HPAIVs, but also due tofor the associatedlong-term viral shedding of HPAIV and LPAIV.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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