ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2015, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3): 476-481.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2015.03.018

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Pathogenicity of Duck Tembusu Virus for Ducklings

LI Ning#,SHI Ying#,LÜ Chuan-wei,YUE Rui-chao,LIU Si-dang*   

  1. (College of Veterinary Medicine,Shandong Agricultural University,Tai’an 271018,China)
  • Received:2014-07-16 Online:2015-03-23 Published:2015-03-23

Abstract:

To study the pathogenicity of duck Tembusu virus in Cherry Valley ducklings,infection model was established by inoculating Tembusu virus FX 2010 strain intramuscularly into one-week-old ducklings to dynamically supervise clinical symptoms,pathological changes,tissue viral loads and immune responses of infected ducklings.The ducklings showed loss of appetite and yellow-white stools at the third day post infection (3 dpi) and neurological symptoms at 5 dpi.In addition,some ducklings died acutely and the mortality rate was 22.5% (9/40).Necropsy results showed endocardial hemorrhage,swelling and necrosis in spleen.The liver and kidney were degenerative and swelling and meningeal congestion.Histopathological changes in infected ducklings mainly presented as degeneration and necrosis in parenchymal cells of heart,liver and kidney,interstitial inflammatory cells were infiltrated or bleeding,focal lymphocytes necrosis and a large number of heterophilic granulocytes infiltration in spleen,typical viral encephalitis in brain.Tembusu virus could be detected in every organ of infected ducklings at 1 dpi and viral levels reached a peak at 3 dpi in all organs except for the spleen.The levels of serum neutralizing antibodies were low at 5 dpi,then gradually increased and reached the peaks till at dpi.These results suggest that duck Tembusu virus could quickly invade tissues and numerously replicate in affected ducklings,characterized by pantropic virus injuring most tissues.Severe ducklings usually died of acute septicemia.The neutralizing antibodies could be rapidly produced to fight against infection and eliminate the virus.

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