Pathogenicity of newly emergent turkey arthritis reoviruses in chickens.
Turkey arthritis reoviruses (TARVs) were isolated recently from gastrocnemius and digital flexor tendons of lame turkeys with swollen joints and tenosynovitis. These TARVs were genetically different from chicken arthritis reoviruses (CARVs) and produced gastrocnemius tenosynovitis when inoculated into turkey poults. The purpose of this study was to determine the pathogenicity of TARVs in chickens. One-week-old, specific-pathogen-free chicks were inoculated with either a TARV (TARV-MN2 or TARV-O'Neil) or CARV via oral, intratracheal, or footpad routes. At 2 and 3 weeks post inoculation (PI), a subset of chicks from each group was euthanized followed by collection of tissues for real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR), virus isolation, and histopathology. Chickens inoculated with CARV via intratracheal and footpad routes developed gastrocnemius lymphocytic tenosynovitis at 2 and 3 weeks PI. Both TARV-MN2 and TARV-O'Neil induced gastrocnemius lymphocytic tenosynovitis in chicks inoculated only via the footpad route at 2 and 3 weeks PI. Although there was no evidence of clinical lameness, the virus was present in leg tendons, internal organs, and intestines of all TARV-inoculated chicks regardless of route of inoculation, as indicated by rRT-PCR and virus isolation. These results indicate that TARVs do not produce gastrocnemius tenosynovitis in chicks by 3 weeks PI when administered via the most probable natural route (e.g., oral and intratracheal). Further studies are needed to determine the long term effects these viruses might play in inducing lameness in chickens.
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt 44519 shara022@umn.edu.
Tamer A
TA
Sharafeldin
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Sunil K
SK
Mor
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Harsha
H
Verma
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Aschalew Z
AZ
Bekele
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Liliya
L
Ismagilova
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Sagar M
SM
Goyal
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Robert E
RE
Porter
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology
arthritis; chickens; lameness; reovirus; tenosynovitis