The effect on newborn chicks of oral inoculation of reovirus isolated from chickens with tenosynovitis

Abstract

Reovirus strain 176, isolated from chickens with tenosynovitis, was highly pathogenic following oral inoculation of 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free chicks. Disseminated lesions including hepatic necrosis, splenic lymphostromal cell hyperplasia, and bursal atrophy occurred on day 3 postinoculation (PI), followed by myocarditis on day 6 PI and by pericarditis and tenosynovitis on day 9 PI. Reovirus was isolated from the liver as early as day 1 PI, whereas significant neutralizing antibody was detected on day 13 PI. Mortality occurred from day 4 to day 7 PI, and the death of birds was associated with the severity of hepatic necrosis. The occurrence of tenosynovitis in virus-inoculated birds was subclinical.