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Influenza Virus Propagation in Embryonated Chicken Eggs
Published on: March 19, 2015
Turkey origin reovirus-induced immune dysfunction in specific pathogen free and commercial turkey poults
J Michael Day1, Erica Spackman, Mary J Pantin-Jackwood
1Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 934 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA. Michael.Day@ars.usda.gov
Abstract:
Recently, pathogenesis studies, using genetically distinct turkey-origin reoviruses (TRVs), revealed that poults infected with certain TRV isolates had moderate to severe bursal atrophy, suggesting virus-induced immune dysfunction. In order to characterize the effect of TRV infection on the turkey immune system, classical assays were undertaken to quantify the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in small Beltsville and broad-breasted white poults infected with the TRV isolate NC/SEP-R44/03. A marked effect on the cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity response, and on the antibody response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) exposure, was noted in commercial and specific pathogen free (SPF) poults inoculated with NC/SEP-R44/03 at three days of age. Moderate to severe bursal atrophy, similar to that noted previously in SPF poults, occurred in commercial poults inoculated at three days of age. This immune dysfunction and bursal atrophy was not present in commercial poults inoculated at three weeks of age.
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