Abstract
We investigated an acute outbreak of the cutaneous form of fowlpox among chickens in China in November 2009. Using pathologic and virologic methods, we identified a novel type of fowlpox virus that carried an integrated genomic sequence of reticuloendotheliosis virus. This highly pathogenic virus could lead to severe ecologic effects and economic losses.
Highlights
We investigated an acute outbreak of the cutaneous form of fowlpox among chickens in China in November 2009
Our investigation of an acute outbreak of the cutaneous form of fowlpox determined that the outbreak was caused by a novel type of fowlpox virus (FWPV) that carried integrated reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) genomic sequences
Illness and death rates of up to 100% occurred in this commercial poultry flock in northeast China
Summary
Kui Zhao,[1] Wenqi He,[1] Shengnan Xie, Deguang Song, Huijun Lu, Wei Pan, Ping Zhou, Wenfeng Liu, Rongguang Lu, Jiyong Zhou, and Feng Gao. We investigated an acute outbreak of the cutaneous form of fowlpox among chickens in China in November 2009. The pathogenic traits of this virus type are likely enhanced by integrated reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) sequences of various lengths in the FWPV genome (6–8) This variant FWPV has been found widely (7,9–14), the reported illness and death rates from the cutaneous form of fowlpox in chickens have not reached 100%. We investigated a severe outbreak of cutaneous fowlpox in a poultry flock in northeastern China in which all infected chickens died. Electron microscopy of the clarified supernatant of the scab specimens collected from the skin of infected chickens showed characteristic FWPV virions, which have an ovoid shape (online Technical Appendix Figure 1). The paraffin sections of scab samples from the SPF chickens inoculated with FWPV were positive for FWPV, tested by using a chicken anti-FWPV polyclonal antibody, and for REV, tested by using a monoclonal antibody that recognized the envelope protein of REV in the cytoplasm of stratified squamous epithelial cells of the folliculus pili by immunohistochemical assay (online Technical Appendix Figure 1)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
