Local immunity and persistence of virus in the tracheas of chickens following infection with Newcastle Disease Virus. II. Immunofluorescent and histopathologic studies

In vivo interference by Newcastle disease virus in chickens, the natural host of the virus

Homologous and heterologous viral interference is a common occurrence that has been well studied in vitro. In the present study, homologous viral interference between the LaSota and NYP strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was studied in vivo in chickens, the natural host for NDV. The LaSota strain is avirulent and widely used as a vaccine in poultry industry, while the NYP strain is highly virulent and causes acute disease and death in chickens within four to six days after infection. Chickens generally became resistant to NYP strain challenge 12 hours after intranasal or intratracheal inoculation with LaSota strain virus. The resistance was manifested by reduction in chicken morbidity and mortality, decrease in virus replication in the chicken respiratory tract (p less than 0.05), and inhibition of NYP strain induced gross and microscopic lesions. Interferon was first detected in the chicken respiratory tract and blood at 3 to 6 hours; it peaked at 12 to 24 hours and was maintained for 48 hours after viral inoculation, indicating that interferon induction might be one possible mechanism of the interference between the two strains. This study suggests a role for viral interference in vaccination against virulent viruses.

Effects of bile and gastrointestinal secretions on the infectivity of Newcastle disease virus

Bile aspirated from chicken gall bladders was found to contain substances neutralizing Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Nonspecific factors were present in the bile, probably the bile acids, which caused a reduction in the infectivity of the virus. Specific anti-NDV activity was found in the bile of birds that had been vaccinated with a lentogenic strain, Ulster, and challenged with a velogenic, viscerotropic strain, California 1083. Immunoglobulins were also found in these secretions and demonstrated to include the immunoglobulin A class as well as immunoglobulin G. Variability in the neutralizing capacity of bile was found with two different plaque clones of strain 1083, indicating antigenic heterogeneity in the viral population. No difference was found between bile from uninfected birds and the bile from NDV-immune birds in their activities against influenza strain Turkey Ontario 7732, whereas activity existed against a non-viscerotropic strain of NDV, Texas GB. These findings suggest that the specific activity of the secretions was most probably due to the presence of secretory antibody. The importance of the antiviral substances present in the alimentary tract was discussed with respect to the protection of the chicken against the viscerotropic pathotype of NDV.

Persistent Newcastle disease virus infection in embryonic chicken tracheal organ cultures

The persistent infection of embryonic chicken tracheal organ cultures with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is described. Tracheal explants remained morphologically intact and were able to support the replication of NDV for 6 months. Peak titers of released virus occurred at 1 week postinfection, whereas maximal immunofluorescence was not observed until 30 days postinfection. The inoculum titer was not critical, and viral persistence resulted with either of two strains of NDV tested. Serum was not required in the medium for explant viability or to maintain the persistent infection. The presence of a contaminating virus morphologically resembling a leukovirus neither altered the course of infection nor affected the survivability of explants. Although interferon was not detected in the culture medium, persistently infected explants were resistant to heterologous viral challenge, and a similar resistant state could be induced in uninfected explants with exogenous interferon or ultraviolet light-inactivated NDV. No evidence was found to implicate antibody as a regulatory factor in the establishment or maintenance of persistence. The results from electron microscopy and immunofluorescence suggest the cells of the subepithelial connective tissue as the site of NDV persistence.