Ocular Lesions Induced Experimentally by Very Virulent Strain of Marek′s Disease Virus in Chickens

닭의 마렉병 바이러스 강독주 실험접종에 의한 안구병변

Ocular lesions induced in 40 specific-pathogen-free Marek's disease (MD) resistant chicks by inoculation at 1 day of age with very virulent strain of Marek's disease virus (WV) were pathologically examined. Grossly,24/40 (60%) chicks had white gel-like materials in the vitreous body, whereas thickening and discoloration of iris (gray eye) were not observed. Microscopically, characteristic ocular MD lesions were observed in choroid (27/40), ciliary (30/40) and iris (23/40) in which small focal inflammatory to diffuse neoplastic Iymphoid cells were infiltrated. Five out of 40 MDV-inoculated birds revealed necrotizing Iymphomas in choroid. These lesions consisted of necrotic and degenerating Iymphoblasts accompanied by intranuclear inclusion body. There was retinal atrophy and necrosis with inclusion body detected in necrotic ganglion, inner or outer nuclear and infiltrated Iymphoblast cells. Conjunctiva showed lymphoid cell infiltration in 29/40 chicks inoculated with MDV, Vitreous body exhibited mild to severe exudation of eosinophilic proteinaceous material in 24/40 chicks. These lesions were associated with Iymphoid cell infutration, edema and fibrosis of choroid. Pecten (7/40) and optic nerve (13/40) were infiltrated usually mildly with Iymphoid cells. From these results, very virulent strain, Md/5 of MDV caused high incidence of ocular lesions in MD resistant chicks. In addition, Md/5 induced exudation of proteinaceous material into the vitreous body and fibrosis of choroid. Necrotizing ocular Iymphoma lesions in choroid is the first report in the MD literature.