Abstract
Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) emerged as an important respiratory pathogen causing acute respiratory tract infection in avian species. Here we used a chicken aMPV subgroup C (aMPV/C) isolate to inoculate experimentally BALB/c mice and found that the aMPV/C can efficiently replicate and persist in the lungs of mice for at least 21 days with a peak viral load at day 6 postinoculation. Lung pathological changes were characterized by increased inflammatory cells. Immunochemical assay showed the presence of viral antigens in the lungs and significant upregulation of pulmonary inflammatory cytokines and chemokines including MCP-1, MIP-1α, RANTES, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were detected following inoculation. These results indicate for the first time that chicken aMPV/C may replicate in the lung of mice. Whether aMPV/C has potential as zoonotic pathogen, further investigation will be required.
Highlights
Avian metapneumovirus, belonging to the Metapneumovirus genus within the family Paramyxoviridae, causes an acute respiratory disease characterized by nasal and ocular discharge, foamy conjunctivitis, facial congestion and swollen infraorbital sinuses, as well as egg drops and poor egg quality in turkeys, chickens and ducks [1]. aMPV is an enveloped virus containing a single stranded, negative sense RNA genome with a total length of approximately 13 kb, which organized in the order 39-leader-N-PM-F-M2-SH-G-L-trailer-59 [2]
A cohort was observed for signs of disease such as being ataxia, ruffled fur, tendency to huddle, or being less active, inactive from day 1 through day 6 followed by recovery in the aMPV subgroup C (aMPV/C)-inoculated mice
Previous research showed that infection of turkeys with aMPV/ C occurred primarily in the ciliated epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract, exhibiting superficial erosive and inflammatory changes [27]
Summary
Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), belonging to the Metapneumovirus genus within the family Paramyxoviridae, causes an acute respiratory disease characterized by nasal and ocular discharge, foamy conjunctivitis, facial congestion and swollen infraorbital sinuses, as well as egg drops and poor egg quality in turkeys, chickens and ducks [1]. aMPV is an enveloped virus containing a single stranded, negative sense RNA genome with a total length of approximately 13 kb, which organized in the order 39-leader-N-PM-F-M2-SH-G-L-trailer-59 [2]. Four subgroups (A, B, C, and D) of aMPV have been identified based upon genetic and antigenic properties of viral attachment (G) glycoprotein. Subgroup C aMPV (aMPV/C) was first reported in turkeys in the USA in 1996 [4] and subsequently isolated from farmed ducks [5] and pheasants [6], some wild birds [7] and our most recent report from chickens [20]. Research data [8,9,10] further indicated that aMPV/C had closer genetic and antigenic relatedness to human metapneumovirus (hMPV), within the same genus Metapneumovirus as aMPV, than to other aMPV subgroups, thereby emphasizing the need for a better understanding of aMPV/C pathogenesis
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