Studies on Inclusion Body Disease (Herpesvirus Infection) of Falcons David Lee Graham Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1973 Studies on inclusion body disease (herpesvirus infection) of falcons David Lee Graham Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Animal Sciences Commons, and the Veterinary Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Graham, David Lee, "Studies on inclusion body disease (herpesvirus infection) of falcons " (1973). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 6198. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/6198 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 46106 73-25,222 GRAHAM, D.V.M., David Lee, 1939- STUDIES ON DELUSION BODY DISEASE (HERPESVIRUS INFECTION} OF FALCONS. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1973 Veterinary Science University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. Studies on inclusion body disease (herpesvirus infection) of falcons by David Lee Graham A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Subject: Veterinary Pathology Approved » Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Graduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1973 il TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 3 Prairie Falcon 3 Owls 5 Parrots 8 Pigeons 9 Geese 11 Chickens 12 Ducks 13 MATERIALS AND METHODS l6 Field Cases l6 Acquisition of field cases of inclusion body disease of falcons (IBDF) l6 Experimental Birds l6 Sources of Viruses l6 Collection, Preparation, and Examination of Specimens 19 Necropsy 19 Histopathology 19 Electron microscopy 20 Hematology 20 Virological methods 20 Inoculations 21 Experiments 22 Experiment I. Examination of field cases of IBDF 22 iii Experiment II. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-18 for kestrels 22 Experiment III. Viremia in experimental IBDF in kestrels 22 Experiment IV. Progression of lesions in experimental IBDF in kestrels 23 Experiment V. Experimental reproduction of IBDF in a prairie falcon 23 Experiment VI. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-18 in other raptor species 24 Experiment VII. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-18 in non-raptorial birds 24 Experiment VIII. Comparative patho genicity of OHV and PHV 25 RESULTS 27 Experiment I. Examination of Field Cases of IBDF 27 Field case 1. Prairie falcon (PF-Il) 27 Field case 2. Red-headed falcon (RHF-Il) 30 Field case 3. Prairie falcon (PF-I2) 31 Field case 4. Peregrine falcon (PER-Il) 35 Field case 5* Prairie falcon (PF-I3) 39 Field case 6. Gyrfalcon (GF-Il) 40 Field case 7» Prairie falcon (PF-I4) 42 Experiment II. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-18 for Kestrels ' 46 Clinical signs 46 Hematology 48 Post-mortem examination 48 Virological examination 62 iv Experiment III. Viremia in IBDF in Kestrels 62 Experiment IV. Progression of Lesions in IBDF in Kestrels 64 KIVl 64 KIV2 64 KIV3 64 KIV4 72 KIV5 72 KIV6 81 Experiment V. Experimental Production of IBDF in a Prairie Falcon (PFVl) 81 Experiment VI. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-l8 in Other Raptor Species 90 Experiment VII. Pathogenicity of FHV strain S-18 in Non-raptorial Birds 99 Experiment VIII. Comparative Pathogenicity of OHV and PHV 100 DISCUSSION 102 Proof of the Etiology of IBDF 102 Field Cases of IBDF 102 Experimental IBDF in Falcons 103 Comparison of the Lesions in Field and Experimental Cases of IBDF 106 Proposed Pathogenesis of Field and Experimental Cases of IBDF 107 Species Susceptibility Spectrum 109 STO!MARY 114 LITERATURE CITED 117 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 121 1 INTRODUCTION Among domestic and wild avian species there occur certain diseases which bear several points of mutual resem blance. The common denominators of owl hepatosplenitis, Pacheco's parrot disease, inclusion body disease of pigeons, duck plague, goose hepatitis, and inclusion body hepatitis of chickens are hepatitis and the development of hepatic intranuclear inclusion bodies. Herpesviruses are either strongly suspected of being or are known to be the causative agents of several of these diseases» Other clinical and pathological features are inconsistently shared. In 1971 a previously unrecognized disease was reported to occur in the prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus), a native North American raptor (bird of prey). The clinical course was short, approximately 40 hours, and was characterized by the relatively non-specific signs of anorexia and listlessness. Post mortem findings were multiple necrotic foci in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and intestinal wall. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were found in cells adjacent to the necrotic areas. The name "inclusion body hepatitis" was proposed for the disease and a herpesvirus was suggested as the etiolo gical agent. Liver and spleen material from a naturally occurring case was found to be infectious for embryonated chicken eggs and for American kestrels (£. sparverius) in which the lesions described above were reproduced. This falcon disease would thus deserve a place in the list of 2 "inclusion body hepatitis" diseases listed above. The status of this falcon disease as a potential or real threat to the poultry industry and to other wildlife species has not been assessed. Pesticide-related mortality and reproductive failure in wildfowl in general and raptors in particular have received much study. Less well understood, however, are the naturally occurring infectious diseases. Because of the decline in wild breeding populations of several raptor species a number of federal agencies and private institutions have embarked on captive breeding programs. The effects of an epiomitic of this disease in these breeding establishments could be devastating to the programs and to the species they were designed to preserve. This research was undertaken to characterize the lesions of the falcon disease, study its pathogenesis, investigate the spectrum of species susceptible to its causative agent and to study the comparative pathogenicity of the agents of the falcon disease and others in the avian "inclusion body hepatitis" group of diseases. 3 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Hepatic necrosis, in some instances accompanied by the development of intranuclear inclusion bodies, has been recog nized as a feature of certain diseases occurring in several avian species# "Inclusion body hepatitis of falcons" (Ward et al., 1971)1 inclusion body disease of chickens (Pettit and Carlson, 1972), and a disease of muscovy ducks described by Kaschula (1950) are presumed to be of viral etiology. A viral etiology is accepted for owl hepatosplenitis (Burtscher, 19^8), Facheco's parrot disease (Rivers and Schwentker, 1932), herpesvirus infection of pigeons (Comwell, Weir, and Follett, 1967), goose hepatitis (Schettler, 1971a), and duck virus enteritis (Leibovitz, 1972). Prairie Falcon The clinical and pathological aspects of a disease observed in a young captive male prairie falcon (Falco mexi- canus) were described by Ward and co-workers (1971). The falcon had been captured at an eyrie in South Dakota at about 10 days of age and was taken to Pennsylvania when about 5 weeks old. Anorexia and listlessness were observed at 7 weeks of age. Physical examination