Abstract:

This experiment was conducted to study the histopathological changes and virus antigen distribution caused by Duck hepatitis A virus genotype C (DHAV-C) in Specific pathogen free (SPF) ducklings in order to partially elucidate the pathogenesis of the virus. SPF ducklings were experimentally infected with DHAV-C and 10 sorts of organs from the infected ducklings were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde at different time points post infection (PI). The prepared sections from 10 organs of DHAV-C infected ducklings at different time points PI, were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE), as well as Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and were observed under a light microscope. The results showed that the 10 examined organs, including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, intestine, thymus, bursa of Fabricus (BF), pancreas and cerebrum, all had pathological changes and virus antigen distributions. The severe pathological changes and more virus antigens were found in liver, spleen, kidney, bursa of Fabricus (BF), thymus and pancreas. Where there were more virus antigen stains, there were more severe histopathological changes. These results indicated DHAV-C causes wide damages to different duckling organs. The virus invasion to liver, kidney and immune organs thymus, bursa of Fabricus (BF) and spleen is the foundmental reason for its acute infection.