Marble Spleen Disease in Ring-Necked Pheasants: Histology and Ultrastructure

Abstract

Marble spleen disease in pen-raised ring-necked pheasants runs a peracute course, with death occurring from pulmonary edema. The diagnosis can be made from the gross and microscopic lesions. Large eosinophilic to pale basophilic inclusion bodies were consistently present in splenic reticuloendothelial cells. A smaller and less numerous basophilic intranuclear inclusion body also occurred in tEe spleen and lungs. The presence of amyloid in the spleen was established by electron microscopy and histochemical stains. A viral etiology was postulated from electron microscopic evidence demonstrating numerous spherical virus particles in the splenic intranuclear inclusions. Attempts at virus isolation by inoculation of three avian tissue culture systems with infected spleen were unsuccessful.