Oculopathologic findings in flavivirus-infected gallinaceous birds.
Using eye samples of nine 9-week-old experimentally West Nile virus (WNV)-infected red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa), time course of lesions and WNV antigen appearance in ocular structures were examined. In addition, eye samples of 6 red-legged partridges and 3 common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) naturally infected with Bagaza virus (BAGV) were used to study lesions and flavivirus antigen distribution in relation to apparent blindness in the former. The rapid onset of microscopic lesions and early presence of viral antigen in the eye of experimentally WNV-infected partridges, prior to the central nervous system involvement, suggested hematogenous spread of the virus into the eye. BAGV-infected partridges had a more pronunced inflammatory reaction and more widespread flavivirus antigen distribution in the retina compared with pheasants and experimentally fatally WNV-infected partridges. Our results suggest that flavivirus replication and development of lesions in ocular structures of gallinaceous game birds vary with the specific virus and host species involved.
['Gamino|V|V|', 'Escribano-Romero|E|E|', 'Gutiérrez-Guzmán|A V|AV|', 'Blázquez|A B|AB|', 'Saiz|J C|JC|', 'Höfle|U|U|']
D000818:Animals D000956:Antigens, Viral D001715:Bird Diseases D005123:Eye D015828:Eye Infections, Viral D005416:Flavivirus D018177:Flavivirus Infections D046094:Galliformes D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions D013045:Species Specificity
eye Bagaza virus flavivirus West Nile virus. common pheasant Phasianus colchicus histology immunohistochemistry red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa