title: Comparative histopathological characteristics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in chickens and domestic ducks in 2008 Korea.
abstract: We compared characteristic lesions occurring in chickens and domestic ducks naturally infected with H5N1 HPAI virus in April and May 2008. Infected chickens generally exhibited pale-green, watery diarrhoea, depression, neurological signs and cyanosis of wattles and combs, and infected ducks generally exhibited neurological signs and watery diarrhoea. Gross petechial or ecchymotic haemorrhage affected the heart, proventriculus, liver, muscle, fat, and pancreas in chickens, and muscle in ducks. Necrotic foci were primarily present in the pancreas of both species and in the heart of domestic ducks. Histopathologically, chickens exhibited multifocal encephalomalacia, multifocal lymphohistiocytic myocarditis, multifocal necrotic pancreatitis and haemorrhage of several organs and tissues; ducks exhibited lymphohistiocytic meningoencephalitis with multifocal haemorrhages, multifocal necrotic pancreatitis, and severe necrotic myocarditis with mineralisation. The characteristic histopathologic findings of 2008 HPAI were multifocal encephalomalacia and necrotic pancreatitis accompanied by lymphohistiocytic myocarditis, and haemorrhage in various organs and tissues in chickens, whereas in ducks, they were severe necrotic myocarditis with mineralisation and necrotic pancreatitis, accompanied with lymphohistiocytic meningoencephalitis. The high mortality of domestic ducks may be intimately associated with heart failure resulting from increased H5N1 HPAI viral cardiotropism.
authors.affiliation: Animal Disease Diagnostic Center, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang, Republic of Korea. woogh@korea.kr
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bak
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Joo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004372:Ducks / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000821:virology; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral