Infectious tenosynovitis in broilers and broiler breeders in Egypt.

Two infectious tenosynovitis-producing viruses were isolated from tendon sheaths and synovial fluids of 59 broilers and 15 broiler breeders obtained from different flocks in Egypt during June to October 1983. The viruses grew well on the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos, produced small localized white pock lesions with oedematous swellings at the inoculation sites and death of most of the embryos 72 to 96 hours post-inoculation. They also induced cytopathic effect in chicken embryo rough, Vero and MS cell lines. The viruses were neutralized by reovirus S1133 antiserum, both in tissue culture and on the chorioallantoic membrane. Inoculation of the viruses into 2-day-old broiler chicks via the foot pad, intramuscular and oral routes reproduced the disease with the development of characteristic clinical, pathological and serological responses. The infection was transmitted to in-contact control chicks. This is the first report of the disease and of the isolation and identification of the causative virus in Eqypt.

Susceptibility of day-old chicks and ducklings, goslings and quails to pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis and pigeon herpesviruses.

Day-old chicks were susceptible to pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) by intracerebral (i/c) inoculation. Infected birds developed neurologic signs starting from 2 to 15 days post-infection, and 85% died. The virus was recovered from the brains of diseased chicks in titers ranging between 104 and 105.5 EID 50/0.2 ml. Inoculated birds shed the virus in their droppings throughout the 2 weeks observation period. Day-old chicks given the virus by the intranasal (i/n) or oral routes did not develop any specific signs but shed the virus also in their droppings throughout the observation period. Ducklings and goslings inoculated intravenously (i/v), i/n or orally were resistant. Day-old chicks and ducklings, goslings and quails inoculated by different routes with pigeon herpesvirus (PHV) did not show respiratory or nervous signs.

Viral encephalomyelitis of pigeons. VI. Some physico-chemical properties of the virus and extracted viral DNA.

Pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) was stable at -70 C for at least 4 months. When stored at -20 C, the virus lost 80% of its infective titers in 4 months. When stored at -10 C, however, the titers decreased rapidly; no detectable virus remained within 12 weeks. PHEV was thermolabile: it was completely inactivated at 56 and 60 C for 10 and 2 min respectively. It was also killed by 1% cresol and 2% sodium hydroxide for two hr and 2% septol for 24 hr. Two-percent phenol or formaline for 2 hr, however, significantly decreased virus infective titers. Phenol-purified DNA extracted from PHEV showed an ultraviolet spectrum of typical nucleic acids that had ratios of absorbancies at 265 nm/280 nm between 2 and 2.3. The extracted viral DNA was infectious in chorioallantoic membrane and chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures, but it was not noninfectious when given to pigeons. DNA infectivity was destroyed by DNAse but not RNAse treatment. Extracted DNA was not neutralized by antiserum against the intact virus, and it lost its infectivity property when heated at 70 C for 10 min.