An epidemic of fatal hepatic necrosis of viral origin in racing pigeons(Columba livia)

Abstract Objective Pigeon rotavirus A (RVA) isolates of genotype G18P[17] are causing disease outbreaks and fatalities in pigeon lofts in Australia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and USA since 2016. Most disease outbreaks have been reported from juvenile pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica). However, reports on RVA-associated disease outbreaks in fancy pigeons in connection with fancy pigeon shows in Germany are rare. Material and methods Overall 18 pigeons (16 fancy pigeons and one racing pigeon from 9 pigeon fanciers, as well as one feral pigeon from a rescue center) were sent in for routine diagnostic necropsy including histopathologic, parasitologic and microbiologic examinations. Molecular biologic examinations for detection of RVA, circovirus, Usutu virus, West Nile virus and Chlamydia psittaci were also carried out on all pigeons. An accompanying questionnaire filled in by the senders was used to generate basic information on the affected pigeon lofts. Results Disease outbreaks in juvenile and adult pigeons were reported 7–14 days after fancy pigeon shows. One fancier who had previously vaccinated his pigeons with an autogenous pigeon RVA vaccine, noted no morbidity and mortality among his pigeons and thus sent in a healthy pigeon for diagnostic purposes. Reported clinical signs in the other pigeons were regurgitation, green slimy diarrhea, anorexia, apathy and death after 24 hours. Hepatic necrosis and detection of pigeon RVA isolates of genotype G18P[17] confirmed disease outbreaks caused by pigeon RVA in all pigeons, except for the vaccinated pigeon. Besides pigeon circovirus, which was detected in 15 of 18 pigeons, all other pathogens were singular findings. Conclusion and clinical relevance In disease outbreaks following fancy pigeon shows in juvenile and adult pigeons diagnostics should include pigeon RVA of genotype G18P[17].

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Bacteriophages Associated with Turkey Coecums in Bluecomb-Infected and Healthy Birds

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100063044 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 226-227

Author(s):

A. E. Ritchie

Keyword(s):

Host Cell ◽

Causal Relationship ◽

Cell Cultures ◽

Cell Interaction ◽

Etiologic Agent ◽

Viral Origin ◽

Intestinal Contents ◽

Host Cell Interaction

The cause of bluecomb disease in turkeys is unknown. Filtration of infective intestinal contents suggests a viral origin. To date, it has not been possible to isolate the etiologic agent in various cell cultures. The purpose of this work was to characterize as many virus-like entities as were recognizable in intestines of both healthy and bluecomb-infected turkeys. By a comparison of the viral populations it was hoped that some insight might be gained into the cause of this disease. Studies of turkey hemorraghic enteritis by Gross and Moore (Avian Dis. 11: 296-307, 1967) have suggested that a bacteriophage-host cell interaction may bear some causal relationship to that disease.

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Fine Structural Alterations in Thyroid Follicular Cells (FC) and Changes in Serum Thyroxine Produced by Feeding Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) to Rats

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100079929 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 498-499

Author(s):

W.T. Collins ◽

Charles C. Capen ◽

Louis Kasza

Keyword(s):

Feed Efficiency ◽

Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽

Serum Proteins ◽

Skin Lesions ◽

Hepatic Necrosis ◽

Ultrastructural Changes ◽

Lymphoid Tissues ◽

Heat Transfer Fluids ◽

Thyroid Follicular Cells ◽

Peripheral Metabolism

The widespread contamination of the environment with PCB, a compound used extensively by industry in hydraulic and heat transfer fluids as well as plasticizers and solvents in adhesives and sealants, has resulted in detectable tissue levels in a large portion of the human population, domestic animals, and wildlife. Intoxication with PCB produces severe hepatic necrosis, degeneration of lymphoid tissues and kidney, skin lesions, decreased reproductive performance, reduced feed efficiency, and decreased weight gain. PCB also has been reported to reduce the binding of thyroid hormone to serum proteins and enhance the peripheral metabolism of thyroxine with increased excretion of thyroxine-glucuronide in the bile (Bastomsky, Endocrinology 95: 1150-1155, 1974).The objectives of this investigation were (1) to investigate the histopathologic, histochemical, and ultrastructural changes in thyroid FC produced by the acute (4 week) and chronic (12 week) administration of low (50 ppm) and high (500 ppm) doses of PCB to rats, (2) to correlate these alterations to changes in serum immunoreactive thyroxine concentration, and (3) to investigate the persistence of the effects of PCB on the thyroid gland.

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Early Development of Drug-Induced Hepatic Necrosis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100066942 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 576-577

Author(s):

F. G. Zaki ◽

E. Detzi ◽

C. H. Keysser

Keyword(s):

Early Development ◽

Hepatic Necrosis ◽

Screening Tests ◽

Dense Matrix ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Drug Induced ◽

Hepatocellular Damage ◽

Sprague Dawley Rats ◽

Microscopic Studies

This study represents the first in a series of investigations carried out to elucidate the mechanism(s) of early hepatocellular damage induced by drugs and other related compounds. During screening tests of CNS-active compounds in rats, it has been found that daily oral administration of one of these compounds at a dose level of 40 mg. per kg. of body weight induced diffuse massive hepatic necrosis within 7 weeks in Charles River Sprague Dawley rats of both sexes. Partial hepatectomy enhanced the development of this peculiar type of necrosis (3 weeks instead of 7) while treatment with phenobarbital prior to the administration of the drug delayed the appearance of necrosis but did not reduce its severity.Electron microscopic studies revealed that early development of this liver injury (2 days after the administration of the drug) appeared in the form of small dark osmiophilic vesicles located around the bile canaliculi of all hepatocytes (Fig. 1). These structures differed from the regular microbodies or the pericanalicular multivesicular bodies. They first appeared regularly rounded with electron dense matrix bound with a single membrane. After one week on the drug, these vesicles appeared vacuolated and resembled autophagosomes which soon developed whorls of concentric lamellae or cisterns characteristic of lysosomes (Fig. 2). These lysosomes were found, later on, scattered all over the hepatocytes.

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Oncornavirus assembly at the cell surface revealed in replicas of freeze-dried cells

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100082637 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 354-355

Author(s):

Anthony Demsey ◽

Christopher W. Stackpole

Keyword(s):

Cell Surface ◽

Surface Membrane ◽

Viral Origin ◽

Intact Cells ◽

Structural Formation ◽

Virus Core ◽

Freeze Dried ◽

Cacodylate Buffer ◽

Surface Replica ◽

Leukemia Viruses

The murine leukemia viruses are type-C oncornaviruses, and their release from the host cell involves a “budding” process in which the newly-forming, RNA-containing virus core becomes enveloped by modified cell surface membrane. Previous studies revealed that the released virions possess a dense array of 10 nm globular projections (“knobs”) on this envelope surface, and that these knobs contain a 70, 000 MW glycoprotein (gp70) of viral origin. Taking advantage of this distinctive structural formation, we have developed a procedure for freeze-drying and replication of intact cells which reveals surface detail superior to other surface replica techniques, and sufficient to detect even early stages of virus budding by localized aggregation of these knobs on the cell surface.Briefly, cells growing in monolayer are seeded onto round glass coverslips 10-12 mm in diameter. After a period of growth, cells are fixed in situ for one hour, usually with 1% OsO4 in 0. 1 M cacodylate buffer, and rinsed in distilled water.

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A Comparison of the Ultrastructural Morphology of Hepatic Necrosis in BDF1 Mice

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100099350 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

pp. 586-587

Author(s):

Becky Jackson

Keyword(s):

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Hepatic Necrosis ◽

Hepatic Tissue ◽

Pronounced Increase ◽

Glycogen Store ◽

Ultrastructural Morphology ◽

Mitochondrial Integrity ◽

Glycogen Stores

Preliminary investigation has indicated similarity in hepatic ultrastructural morphology in nutritional deprivation, and cyanide induced hepatic necrosis. Analysis of hepatic tissue has indicated disruption of intracellular membranes, specifically, reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen stores. An increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) portion was observed.To further investigate the apparent equivalence of necrotic morphology, ultrastructura1ly, BDF1 mice were subjected to senescence, nutritional deprevation, potassium cyanide (KCN) induced toxemia, and acetaminophen induced toxemia. Controls were utilized to ellucidate non-necrotic hepatocellular normals. U1trastructura1 investigation of controls (Fig. 1) shows densely granular RER, abundant glycogen stores, and morphologically normal mitochondria. Subjects with acetaminophen induced necrosis exhibit reduced normal RER with increased levels of dialated, vesicular RER in apparent conversion to SER (Fig. 2), loss of mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen store reduction. Senescent subjects exhibit a pronounced increase in SER and loss of glycogen store. (Fig. 3). Investigation of the senescent SER at high magnification (Fig. 5) indicates that the SER is arising from degranulating and vesiculating RER.

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Biological and Morphological Studies on Low-Leukemia-Strain Mice with Hodgkin's-Like Neoplasia Induced by Serial Cell-Free Transmission of Leukemic Organs of SJL/J Strain Mice

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100100792 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 210-211

Author(s):

S. Fujinaga ◽

K. Maruyama ◽

C.W. Williams ◽

K. Sekhri ◽

L. Dmochowski

Keyword(s):

Tissue Culture ◽

Type A ◽

Reticulum Cell ◽

Type B ◽

Viral Origin ◽

Serial Transfer ◽

Strain Mouse ◽

Morphological Studies ◽

Cell Neoplasm ◽

Free Material

Yumoto and Dmochowski (Cancer Res.27, 2098 (1967)) reported the presence of mature and immature type C leukemia virus particles in leukemic organs and tissues such as lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, liver, and kidneys of SJL/J strain mice with Hodgki's-like disease or reticulum cell neoplasm (type B). In an attempt to ascertain the possibility that this neoplasia may be of viral origin, experiments with induction and transmission of this neoplasm were carried out using cell-free extracts of leukemic organs from an SJL/J strain mouse with spontaneous disease.It has been possible to induce the disease in low-leukemia BALB/c and C3HZB strain mice and serially transfer the neoplasia by cell-free extracts of leukemic organs of these mice. Histological examination revealed the neoplasia to be of either reticulum cell-type A or type B. Serial transfer is now in its fifth passage. In addition leukemic spleen from another SJL/J strain mouse with spontaneous reticulum cell neoplasm (type A) was set up in tissue culture and is now in its 141st serial passage in vitro. Preliminary results indicate that cell-free material of 39th tissue culture passage can reproduce neoplasia in BALB/c mice.

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Aplastic anemia associated with submassive hepatic necrosis. Report of four cases

Archives of Internal Medicine ◽

10.1001/archinte.137.7.898 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 137 (7) ◽

pp. 898-901 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. Watananukul

Keyword(s):

Aplastic Anemia ◽

Hepatic Necrosis

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