title: Development of a chicken model for studying avian polyomavirus infection.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a chicken model for studying the pathogenesis of avian polyomaviral infection. Ninety-two 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks were divided into the following three treatment groups: nontreated controls, treated with cyclosporine and treated with cyclophosphamide (CY). All birds were inoculated with polyomavirus; half were orally inoculated and half were inoculated by intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Spontaneous mortality and lesion development consistent with polyomaviral infection in psittacine birds occurred only in the CY-treated, IP-inoculated chicks. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that the intranuclear inclusions found microscopically were associated with polyomaviral antigen. Serology demonstrated postinoculation titers against polyomavirus in several experimental groups. One-day-old SPF chickens appear to be convenient models for investigating the pathogenesis of avian polyomavirus infection.
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, Lansing 48909, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000254:growth & development; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide