Viral Diseases of Poultry Birds

IMPORTANT VIRAL DISEASES OF POULTRY

• Newcastle Disease
• Infectious Bronchitis
• Laryngotracheitis
• Infectious Bursal Disease
• Chicken Infectious Anemia Virus
• Egg Drop Syndrome
• Marek’s Disease
• Avian Leukosis
 NEW CASTLE DISEASE
(Pseudo-Fowl Pest, Pseudo-Poultry Plague, Avian Pest, Avian Distemper, Ranikhet Disease, Tetelo
Disease, Korean Fowl Plague, and Avian Pneumoencephalitis)
 Contents
• History
• Definition and Introduction
• Taxonomy
• Characteristics of micro-organism
• Cultivation of Micro-organism
• Strains of Virus on basis of Pathogenicity
• Differentiation among Pathotypes
• Transmission
• Clinical signs and Symptoms
 contents
• Post-mortem lesions and Gross-lesions
• Microscopic lesions
• Diagnosis
• Differential Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention
 History
• In 1926 ,it was first identified in Java,
Indonesia.
 History
• In 1927, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
(whence it got its name).
 History
It may have been prevalent as early as 1898,
when a disease destroy all the domestic fowl in
northwest Scotland.
• Its effects are most notable in domestic poultry due to
their high susceptibility and the potential for severe
impacts of an epizootic on the poultry industries.
• It is endemic to many countries.
 Definition and Introduction
• Newcastle Disease is contagious and fatal viral
disease affecting most species of birds
(chickens, turkeys, pigeons, parrots, ducks,
geese, quails) and human.
• Considered the most serious poultry disease
worldwide
• Respiratory tract and multi-organ systemic
disease with a near 100% mortality rate.
 Taxonomy

• Group V (−)ssRNA)
• Order:Mononegavirales
• Family: Paramyxoviridae.
• Subfamily: Paramyxovirinae.
• Genus: Avulavirus.
 Characteristics
• The virus is enveloped, roughly spherical, with
a diameter around 100-300 nm.
• Enveloped virus (containing lipid, CHO &
protein).
• The genome is segmented & single stranded
negative sense RNA consisting of 15,186
nucleotides.
 Characteristics
• Two specific virus proteins (hemagglutinin-
neuraminidase & fusion protein) are the main
proteins found in the outer coat of the virus.
• Replication occurs in the cytoplasm of the host
cell.
• Affected species; birds & human.
• Morbidity; Up to100% & Mortality; 90%.
Characteristics
 Characteristics
• Inactivation of Virus
1.Minimum core temperature of 80°C for one minute,
75°C for 5 minutes or 70°C for 30 minutes -
completely destroys the virus in meat.
2.Ether sensitive and inactivated by formalin, phenol &
acid pH.
3.Destroyed rapidly by dehydration and ultraviolet rays.
4.pH 3 - 3 min
 Cultivation
• NDV is inoculated into 10-12 days hen
embryonated eggs via chorioallantoic
membrane or allantoic sac.
• It produces haemorrhagic lesions and
encephalitis & embryo dies within 34-72 hours.
• NDV grows well in chicken embryo fibroblast
cell culture.
• Maximum titer is obtained after 24-36 hours.
 Strains of Virus on basis of
Pathogenicity
• 1. Velogenic : highly lethal to all life history stages,
cause severe intestinal and/or neurologicdisease
resulting in high mortality
• (i). Neurotropic (Beache's form).
• (ii). Viscerotropic (Doyle's form).

• 2. Mesogenic (Beaudett's form): deadly to embryos

and younger birds, cause respiratory or nervous
signs with moderate mortality.
 Strains of Virus on basis of Pathogenicity

• 3. Lentogenic (Hitchner form) : mild or

asymptomatic respiratory infection, cause
mild or inapparent respiratory disease.
• 4. Asymptomatic enteric NDV.
• Exotic Newcastle Disease = Velogenic &
Mesogenic
 Differentiation among Pathotypes
,The Mean Death Time (MDT) of embryos .1
Intracerebral Pathogenicity Index (ICPI) .2
Intravenous Pathogenicity Index (IVPI) .3
Enzootic ND •
Lentogenic - mild - kills embryos in > 90 hours
Mesogenic moderate- kills embryos in 60-90 hours
– Velogenic - highly virulent neurotropic or viscerotropic
kills embryos in < 60 hours
Velogenic strains are now officially designated as Exotic Newcastle Disease –
(END)
.Lentogenic & mesogenic are used as vaccine strains
Hitchner: B1 - B1 – milder, La Sota: B1 - La Sota – more virulent.
 Incubation Period
• It varies from (2 to 15) days in poultry
depending on the virulence of the strain.
• In chickens infected with velogenic isolates; (2
to 6) days.
• In some avian species; 25 days.
 Pathogenesis
• The virus replicates in the mucosa of the
upper respiratory and intestinal tracts.
• Virus spreads via blood to spleen and bone
marrow (viremia) causing infection of other
organs: lung, intestines & C.N.S.
 Transmission

• Spread primarily via bodily discharges of birds

• 1.Infected birds droppings.
• 2.Secretions from the nose,
mouth and eyes.
• 3.Dissemination by contaminated
animals and humans to susceptible birds
• 4.Infected carriers (e.g., parrots)
capable of shedding virus for > 1 year.
 Clinical Signs and Symptoms
• Signs vary with species and virulence
• Digestive symptoms
• Greenish, dark watery diarrhea
• Respiratory symptoms.
• Gasping and Coughing
• Nervous signs.
• Muscle Tremors, Drooping Wings, Dragging
Legs/Paralysis, Twisting of Head and neck.
• Drop in egg production with thin, rough-shelled eggs.
 Clinical Signs and Symptoms
• Swelling of tissues around eyes and in the
neck.
• Sudden death.
• Surviving birds may have neurological or
reproductive damage
• In human;(Mild conjunctivitis, influenza-like
symptoms and laryngitis).
 Post-Mortem Lesions
• Inflammation with Petechial hemorrhages on mucosal
membranes (proventriculus , gizzard, trachea and pharynx).
• Edematous, hemorrhagic, or necrotic foci , and ulcerative
areas on Peyer's patches, caecal tonsils.
• Edematous, hemorrhagic, or degenerated ovaries.
• Diphtheriod inflammation on lymphoid tonsils on pharynx
• Severe inflammation of air sacs.
• CNS histopathological lesions
are present but must be
differentiated from AE and MD.
 Diagnosis
Diagnostic samples
1.Samples from live birds
• Tracheal swabs.
• Cloacal swabs.
• Faecal swabs.
• Serum.
2.Samples from dead birds
• Lung, kidneys, intestine, spleen, brain, liver, and heart
tissues.
• In cases of mixed viral respiratory infection, NDV will show up in
the embryos before IBV.
 Diagnostics
1. History, Clinical signs and gross lesions.
2. Lab tests include;
(a).Virus isolation
(b).Serological tests: Haemagglutination inhibition
test,
Virus Neutralization - with known ND antisera, Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA), (No strain
information, Cannot differentiate infected from
vaccinated animals, May be used post-vaccination to
confirm immune response).
 Diagnosis
3. PCR & Sequence technology.
(a).Pathogenicity assessment
(b).Plaque test in chicken embryo fibroblast
cultures.
(c).Mean death time.
(d).Intracerebral pathogenicity index.
(e).Intravenous pathogenicity index.
 Differential Diagnosis
• Infectious bronchitis – respiratory.

• Laryngotracheitis – respiratory.

• Avian encephalomyelitis – neurological.

• Vitamin E & selenium deficiency – neurological.

• Mycotic encephalitis – neurological.

• Avian influenza - variable pathogenicity.

 Prevention
• Quarantine & isolation of all newly purchased birds.
Transportation of birds in new or disinfected containers.
• Restrict personnel movement between new and old
birds.
• Disinfection of all surfaces and equipment.
• Disposal of any destroyed birds and contaminated
products.
• Removal of insects and mice (vectors).
• Control handling of bird carcasses, litter and manure.
 Vaccination
Conventional live virus vaccines:
2 groups 1. Lentogenic vaccines (e.g. Hitchner-B1, La Sota, V4,
NDW, I2 and F)
2. Mesogenic vaccines (e.g. Roakin, Mukteswar and Komarov).
• Infections of these viruses would fall within the OIE definition
of ND.
• Live virus vaccines administered to birds by incorporation in
the drinking water, delivered as a coarse spray (aerosol), or by
intranasal or conjunctival instillation; some mesogenic strains
are given by wing-web intradermal inoculation.