title: Quantitative analysis of virulent duck enteritis virus loads in experimentally infected ducklings.
abstract: To better understand the pathogenesis of duck virus enteritis (DVE), the levels of viral DNA in various tissues of ducklings during acute stage of virulent duck enteritis virus (DEV) infection were investigated by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results show that the viral levels of DEV in systemic organs have a close correlation with the progression of disease. The rapid dissemination and active replication of virulent DEV in multiple systemic organs at the early phase of acute infection accelerate the progression of disease. The levels of viral DNA increase sharply soon after developed clinical signs of disease, and the extent of increase and the magnitude of DEV DNA load in various tissues of ducklings after the exhibition of clinical signs may be a critical determinant of the outcome of DEV infection. The relatively high levels of DEV in bursa and small intestine tissues of dead ducklings most likely reflect the abundance of target epithelial and lymphoid cells in these tissues, which therefore play a key role in the pathogenesis of acute DVE and manifest as severe tissue lesions on the bursa and small intestine.
authors.affiliation: Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan, 625014, China.
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Anchun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Mingshu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dekang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Renyongab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004372:Ducks / Q000821:virology*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral